Several repeat knife offenders in Dyfed and Powys were spared an immediate jail sentence last year, new figures show.

Nearly four in 10 offenders across England and Wales who were caught with a knife or offensive weapon for at least the second time were not sent to jail.

The Ben Kinsella Trust said victims are left “feeling like they haven't received the justice they deserve”.

Ministry of Justice figures show 26 repeat knife offenders aged over 18 in Dyfed and Powys went through the criminal justice system in the year ending September 2023. All of them were found in possession of a knife.

Of those, seven avoided immediate custody and were only cautioned or given a community or a suspended sentence instead. Police force level figures could include both previous possession and threatening offences.

Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “The Government’s ‘two-strike’ policy was presented as an important intervention in the fight against knife crime, promising to deter potential offenders and deliver justice for victims.

“Yet, the data paints a disturbing picture where four out of 10 repeat offenders are walking free. The Trust emphasises that this inconsistency between policy and practice undermines the very purpose of the two-strike rule.”