Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
THE number of under-18s convicted of carrying a knife in 2004-05 was more than double that of 10 years ago.
Figures revealed today by the Scottish Executive showed 693 youths were guilty of knife charges in 2004-05, with 427 convicted by the courts of possessing an offensive weapon.
A further 266 youngsters were convicted of having an article with a blade or point in a public place.
The total number of convictions in 1994-95 was 338.
Then, 204 youths were guilty of possession of an offensive weapon and 134 were convicted of having an article with a blade or point in a public place.
The statistics were revealed in answer to a question from MSP Stewart Stevenson and come as a knife amnesty is running throughout the UK.
Mr Stevenson, the SNP's deputy justice spokesman, described the rise in the number of under-18s convicted of carrying knifes as "extremely worrying".
He said: "Ministers must do more than talk tough on this issue.
"The scourge of knife crime has blighted Scotland for too long and will only be tackled when we take tough action against young people carrying knives."
Mr Stevenson said the SNP supported recent measures such as the doubling of the maximum sentence for carrying a blade and raising the legal age for buying knifes to 18.
But he added: "Such actions must be coupled with moves to eradicate the knife culture plaguing Scotland's streets."
Reproduced with permission from The Herald (Glasgow) © Newsquest (Herald & Times) Ltd
