A 14-year-old girl who was shopped by her mum for taking a knife to school could be facing jail.

The teenager from West Croydon, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was caught after her worried parent noticed a three-inch vegetable knife was missing from the kitchen.

Teachers at the school searched the child’s bag after the tip-off and discovered the blade, which the girl said she had taken to protect her from bullies.

The girl was arrested following the incident on October 22 and fully admitted her crime under interview, adding she knew what she did was wrong.

But magistrates at Croydon Youth Court said they would consider all options for her sentence – including custody – after hearing she had also been caught with an offensive weapon when she was just 13.

The court heard the girl had only gone in to school for a “meeting” and was planning to visit Croydon town centre later that day, which is where she feared she might be attacked.

Magistrates will decide on a sentence on December 18 after a pre-sentence report into her character had been prepared.

The girl, who pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, was released on unconditional bail.

This is the latest example of children carrying knives in Croydon.

A 15-year-old boy was slashed in the face by another teenager as he travelled to school in New Addington in April, while riot police had to be called to a 200-pupil mass brawl involving a knife outside Ashburton Community School a month later.

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