An East Renfrewshire councillor has said reports of teenagers “carrying knives” are “quite alarming”, as she raised the issue with police.

Police Scotland confirmed the “effects of knife crime” are seen across the UK, with officers in East Renfrewshire “trying to understand that picture”.

Local area commander, Chief Inspector Graeme Gallie, said the issue often starts on social media before it “comes to the forefront in the community”.

However, he reassured councillors that knife crime is “not as prolific” in East Renfrewshire as it is elsewhere in the UK.

Cllr Katie Pragnell, Labour, had asked what can be done to stop young people carrying knives, as she had heard anecdotal evidence there is an issue.

“I’ve been hearing from residents that there seems to be an issue with young men, age 14/15, carrying knives,” she said, adding a resident had reported finding a knife in her “son’s friend’s jacket pocket”.

She said the constituent had been told that “when one young man carries a knife then they all carry a knife because it’s defence”.

Cllr Pragnell added: “What can be done to stop that? It’s quite alarming that some of these children are as young as 14. 

“What advice would you give to parents? And does there need to be work in schools? As I’ve heard of this not only happening in Clarkston, but also in the Giffnock area as well.”

Chief Inspector Gallie said: “It is true to say that across Scotland and the UK, we are seeing the effects of knife crime. We obviously had a strong focus on this many years ago when we had the gang issues across the west of Scotland.

“We are at the stage just now where we are trying to understand that picture. A lot of this is happening on social media initially and then it comes to the forefront within the community.

“We are working very closely with our campus officers, the education department within East Renfrewshire Council and with youth services to ensure that we’re engaging young people and speaking to them about things that are going to influence them, such as this, such as vaping, drug use etc.”

He added there is a “really strong, multi-agency partnership approach to youth disorder in East Renfrewshire”. 

“I would just like to reassure you that we are aware of the issue, in East Renfrewshire it is not as prolific as it is elsewhere across the UK but we are not sitting back on our laurels and we are addressing it the best way we can.”