Leicester City Centre Tops County for Knife and Weapons Offences, New Figures Show

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Leicester City centre has become the county’s most dangerous hotspot for knife and weapons offences, with new data placing it among the worst-affected areas in England and Wales.

Fresh figures from the police revealed that 99 weapon-related crimes were recorded in Leicester city centre last year alone, making it the highest in Leicestershire and the 11th worst across more than 7,000 neighbourhoods in England and Wales. These incidents cover a range of weapons, including knives, machetes, firearms, and other dangerous items. Greater Manchester is excluded from the rankings as the local police force did not provide data for the year.

Leicestershire recorded 949 weapons offences in 2024, a rise from 917 in 2023. The increase reflects mounting concerns about violent crime in both urban and suburban areas, with the city centre leading the county in reported cases. Newfoundpool and Leicester City South, including Walnut Street, Regent Street, and London Road, were next with 25 offences each. West End and Westcotes followed closely with 23 reported incidents.

Beyond the city boundary, Loughborough’s Storer and Queen’s Park area saw the highest number of weapons-related crimes, with 19 cases, marking it as the most affected part of the county outside Leicester city.

Rising Threat

The figures coincide with a national push to tackle violent crime, especially among young people. Earlier this year, the Home Office introduced new penalties targeting tech companies that fail to remove content related to knife crime from their platforms. Firms could face fines of up to £70,000, with £60,000 levied against the company and £10,000 personally against responsible executives.

This is part of a broader government effort to address the root causes of knife crime. Last year, zombie knives and machetes, typically over eight inches long and often serrated, were banned across the U.K. A nationwide surrender scheme has been launched, encouraging the public to voluntarily hand over illegal weapons.

Stricter online sales laws have also been introduced. Retailers must now implement two-step age verification when selling knives online. Prison terms for selling weapons to underage individuals have been increased from six months to two years. A new offence of possessing a weapon with intent to cause violence has also been created, carrying a maximum prison sentence of four years.

Crime and Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson condemned the influence of violent online content, particularly its impact on young boys. “The kind of content that young people scroll through every day online is sickening, and I will not accept any notion that restricting access to this harmful material is too difficult,” she said.

“Our children need more from us,” she added. “That is why we are now going further than ever to hold to account the tech companies who are not doing enough to safeguard young people from content which incites violence.”

The latest crime figures paint a worrying picture for Leicester and the surrounding areas.