Knives were used to commit 388 crimes in Hampshire in the past year, according to statistics released by the Home Office.

Seven attempted murders, 196 woundings and 188 robberies were carried out with blades between April 2007 and March 2008.

Statistics for knife crime were broken down for the first time this year by the Home Office.

However, overall crime in Hampshire has dropped by 9%, with fraud and forgery falling by almost a third and sex offences declining by 12%.

Alistair Nichols, from Hampshire Constabulary’s Safer Streets unit, said: “The figures demonstrate we do not have a significant knife culture in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“However, when violence involving knives does occur, it can have a huge and devastating impact on everyone’s lives.”

According to the Home Office figures, published on Thursday, the number of drug offences has risen in the county by 40%.

Some 5,754 offences relating to supply and possession were reported to police in the 12 months investigated.

Tackling drugs

According to British Crime Survey figures, also released on Thursday, almost one in four people said drugs plagued their area.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “The rise in the number of drug offences in the past year can be attributed to the force’s co-ordinated and proactive response to tackling the problems of drugs.”

Home Office data showed there were 39,028 violent offences, which include verbal assaults and harassment, committed in Hampshire last year - a drop of 4%.

There was also a drop in the number of other types of crime.

Robbery fell 12% to 1,066 incidents, while house and business burglary declined by 6% to 14,629 offences.

Car crime fell by 18%, theft by 5%, and criminal damage, of which there were 38,927 offences, dropped by 14%.

Figures from the British Crime Survey revealed more of Hampshire’s residents are concerned about violent crime above anything else.

Some 13% of the county’s population had a “high level of worry” of violence, compared to 8% of people who feared burglary.

Other statistics showed 57% of Hampshire’s population thought the county's police force was doing a good or excellent job, but fewer than half had faith in the criminal justice system.