JUDGES should hand out longer sentences to show that knife crime will not be tolerated, say two of the town's MPs.

David Crausby wants tougher legislation to make carrying knives "as bad as carrying a gun".

And Brian Iddon is urging the courts to "hand down harsher sentences" for anyone caught in possession of a blade.

The MPs' calls come after the fatal stabbing of 31-year-old Paul Gilligan from Little Hulton in Bolton town centre in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Mr Crausby, whose Bolton North-east constituency includes Crown Street where the 12.50am attack happened, said: "Clearly there needs to be action so that it is considered as bad as carrying a gun.

"I think there has got to be some new government legislation to make sure that everyone takes the view that carrying knives is unacceptable.

"And judges need to make the most of legislation already there. It has got to be made absolutely clear that possession of knives has got to result in a prison sentence.

"In the final analysis a knife used wrongly is just as bad as a gun."

Mr Crausby described the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith's plans to force knife offenders to face stab victims in hospital as a deterrent, as "a step in the right direction".

But he warned: "It's not a simple issue for the home secretary to deal with - it's for the whole of society.

"It is not just the courts, police and politicians, it is up to the friends and family of people who carry knives.

"What we have got ourselves into is a cycle where people are carrying knives to defend themselves, and hurting or getting hurt themselves. We need to reverse this trend somehow."

Dr Iddon was more sceptical about the Government's plans.

The Bolton South-east MP said: "Persuading people not to carry knives is not something you are going solve in weeks or months - it's going to take several years to turn this around.

"The Government has got to be seen to be doing something but there is no easy answer.

"I don't think Jacqui Smith's measures will change things as quickly as people like.

"I would not want to lay down mandatory five-year sentences for carrying a knife because individual cases are different.

"But I would implore the courts to hand down harsher sentences because some they give out are unbelievable."