Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced the funding and also pledged further support for four areas spearheading work to combat gun crime and serious violence.

Smith said: I’m determined that we do all we can to get all weapons off our streets and I’m investing £5m today to target knife hotspots across the country. I hope communities will welcome the increased use of knife arches and stop and search to protect their young people.

Early findings from the government's Tackling Gangs Action Programme (TGAP) have shown a 51 per cent drop in recorded gun-related injuries across the four areas involved.

The extra support for TGAP will involve targeting about ten hotspots and working with police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, to introduce more knife search arches, increase the targeted use of stop and search and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to make sure people carrying knives are prosecuted.