Police Scotland found knives during 145 searches involving young people between April 1 last year and March 31 this year. In the 2024 calendar year, officers recovered knives in 91 searches.

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said officers needed greater powers to act when they suspected someone was carrying a weapon.

“Every one of these incidents is a knife being removed from the streets and potentially a life saved,” he told 1919 Magazine.

“Officers need to be supported in this work, and as it stands there are too many obstacles when an officer reasonably suspects someone may be carrying a weapon. As we’ve seen from recent cases, knife crime is a real problem in Scotland.

“Frontline officers are the last line of defence on this and must be given more to continue the work.”

The calls follow the conviction of three teenagers over the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Kayden Moy at Irvine beach last year. Police also recovered knives from two separate 11-year-old boys during the period covered by the figures.

Justice Secretary Neil Gray said there was “no reason to ever carry a weapon” and described stop and search as a “valuable tool” in tackling crime. He said the Scottish government had invested more than £8 million since 2023 in programmes aimed at preventing youth violence, alongside record police funding of more than £1.7 billion for 2026/27.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Stephen Kerr claimed the SNP had “weakened deterrence” and called for greater efforts to educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives.

Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said intelligence-led stop and search remained an “effective policing tactic” but stressed it must be carried out lawfully, proportionately and in line with the statutory code of practice.