More than a third of repeat knife crime offenders in Hertfordshire have avoided jail, new figures show.

The national Labour party has accused the Government of being “soft on crime” after analysis shows that one in three repeat offenders in many areas had been spared jail in the last five years.

In Hertfordshire, 36 per cent managed to avoid jail, which was just slightly more than in London (35 per cent).

But overall, there were 16 areas in the UK where more than a third managed to get away from doing time.

The party said this showed a “two strikes and you’re out” policy pledged in 2015 – where repeat offenders would face a minimum six-month prison sentence would for carrying a knife – was “in tatters”.

Labour’s shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: “This data proves that bungling Dominic Raab and this law-breaking Conservative government are simply soft on crime.

“Time and again, the Conservatives have broken their promises to tackle knife crime and, to top it all, their record-breaking Crown Court backlog will see even more knife criminals let off and more victims let down.”

A Government spokesperson said: “While judges decide sentences, those caught carrying a knife are more likely to be sent to jail than they were a decade ago and new laws will see more repeat offenders face time behind bars.”