By Steve Bargeton, political editor

SCOTTISH POLICE are to be given new powers to stop and search people suspected of carrying offensive weapons as part of a crackdown on knife crime.

A licensing scheme is to be brought in to regulate the sale of non-domestic knives, and the sale of swords is to be banned.

The age limit for purchasing knives is to be raised from 16 to 18 and the jail sentence for possessing a knife or other offensive weapon is to be doubled from two years to four.

As well as new stop and search powers, police will also be given the power to arrest anyone suspected of carrying a knife or offensive weapon.

The proposals will require new legislation which will be consulted on in the new year as part of a proposed Bill in the 2005/6 session of Parliament.

Announcing the new measures in Edinburgh yesterday, First Minister Jack McConnell said ministers would be consulted on the package of measures early next year.

“We will be putting forward the action we believe is required to tackle the scandalously high level of knife crime in Scotland,” he said.

“It is my very strong view, and it is a view shared by the Cabinet, that far too many young men, particularly in Scotland, view the carrying or using of knives or offensive weapons as an acceptable practice.

“It is not acceptable. The law in Scotland must be clear, the system must protect innocent victims, and the culture of Scotland, particularly in our cities, in relation to knives and violent crime must change.”

The Tories attacked many of the proposals and accused the Executive of offering “small tokens” towards fighting crime.

“Jack McConnell is living in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks that imposing longer sentences for knife crime whilst his Justice Minister fails to end automatic early release is a crackdown on crime,” said justice spokesman Annabel Goldie.

“Increasing the sentence for possession from two to four years means that anyone convicted for the full term will still be automatically released after two years.

“Scotland has the third highest rate of stabbings in Europe, with Glasgow significantly higher than other cities.

“Until this Labour/Lib Dem Executive offers more than small tokens towards fighting crime, the Scottish public are still being cheated out of an acceptable level of public safety.

“Licensing schemes for retailers and a new age limit on buying knives will not dramatically cut down knife crime, and what is the point of new stop and search powers if there are too few police officers to carry them out?

“We need more police who are more visible in our communities to deter and detect crime, and an end to the automatic release system …”