Knife victims blocking beds

THE number of hospital beds taken up by victims of stabbings rose last year in the Lothians.

Figures have shown there were 344 "bed days" used up last year, compared to 182 the year before.

Lothians MSP Gavin Brown said: "This is further evidence of the staggering blight that knife and weapon crime is in the Lothians and the drain it has on NHS Lothian resources.

"Behind every statistic there is a victim. We need tougher and more honest sentencing."