People turning up to court with knives are being handed them back when they leave.

Some 18 people tried to enter Camberwell Green Magistrate’s Court with a knife last year, a Freedom of Information request showed.

But instead of the knives being permanently confiscated, they were handed back when the person left the court building.

A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) said the knives were all folding pocket knives under three inches long, and therefore not illegal.

But Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Streatham, Chris Nicholson, said if a knife was not allowed inside a court because it was deemed dangerous, it should not be allowed outside of it.

He said: “It does not make sense. What is the difference here, and what kind of message is it sending to people appearing at court when they are given back a potential weapon?”

The HMCS spokesman said: “HMCS takes the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and has a rigorous system in place, including mandatory bag searches, bag scanners, metal detectors and surveillance cameras, to ensure the safety of all court users.”

The carrying of all knives in court buildings was prohibited, he said, and since November 2008 knives deemed to have been carried lawfully were returned to their owners in a sealed package on receipt of a signature from the owner.

He said if an individual was caught trying to enter any court building with a blade or sharply pointed knife, or folded knife over three inches, they were breaking the law, and the police would be called and appropriate action taken against them.

He said this had not occurred in 2008 at the court, which is where people accused of crimes in Lambeth appear.

Some 66 tools, 52 cameras, and four recorders were also temporarily confiscated by the court last year.

Alcohol was taken into court on 119 occasions and 159 other miscellaneous items temporarily confiscated.

• What do you think? Let us know by email here, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9555 or leave a comment below.