THE attempted murder of schoolgirl Jessica Knight sickened the country.

For a young girl to be brutally stabbed 20 times by a complete stranger before being left for dead, was totally shocking.

This was compounded by the fact that the crime occurred in Chorley, which is not known to be a trouble hotspot.

Knife crime has hit most other parts of the country over the past year, in particular London.

But the attack on Jessica brought the issue far closer to home.

Yesterday her attacker, Kristofer Beddar, who said he carried a knife for protection, was jailed for 12 years.

After the case Jessica’s parents pleaded with young people to stop carrying knives with her father, Richard, warning that others could end up like Bedder if they continue.

Let’s hope that people heed this warning. There is absolutely no justification for carrying a knife.

The courts have a duty to hand out tough sentences to anyone who flouts the law.

Jessica Knight is unlikely to ever recover fully from her injuries.

And if people continue to carry knives, even more people will end up being injured or killed.