Home Secretary Jackie Smith has come up with a typical Labour response to knife crime.

No, we’re not going to put them in prison. No, we’re not going to put them in a reform home. No, we’re not going to fine their parents. No, what we’re going to do is bring them to hospital so they can gloat over their victims in the vague hope if they see the damage a stab wound does they won’t do it again — or they won’t do it at all.

Of course, that’s nice for victims, to come round to find some thug staring at them.

This madness comes from the usual rubbish trendy school of Labour education which has brought us to this pretty pass to begin with — show them the damage it does and they won’t do it.

They will go all teary and regretful.

In fact, the best place to find out the damage it does is when they actually stick a knife into someone’s belly and the guts fall out over the pavement.

If that’s not going to put them off, then having a look at a neatly stitched scar isn’t going to.