TWO children have been found carrying knives in separate incidents at the same primary schoolve.

A nine-year-old boy was found with a kitchen knife while an 11-year-old boy was discovered carrying a craft knife in the playground.

Police were called twice in 48 hours to the Southampton school following calls from the head teacher.

The first incident happened last Wednesday when the Year 5 nine-year-old boy was caught with a knife in his pocket after another pupil raised the alarm. Shortly before, the child is said to have been involved in a dispute with another boy of the same age although nobody was hurt and no threats were made using the knife.

Officers attended the school in Millbrook, Southampton, following a call at 11.20am. The boy and the other pupil are both understood to have been spoken to by police.

The child's parents were informed of the incident at Mason Moor Primary School in Helvellyn Road. It is understood the youngster carrying the knife has been suspended from school.

The second incident happened on Friday when an 11-year-old was found with the weapon in the playground of the school. It is thought he too has been suspended after police were called.

The shock news comes as the Daily Echo continues its campaign against knives. The awareness initiative was launched following the death of teenager Lewis Singleton, aged 18. Lewis was fatally stabbed as he walked home through Obelisk Road, Woolston, after a night out. His friends and family members threw their weight behind the move to get blades off the streets.

Relatives of 15-year-old Dele Little, who died from stab wounds following an incident in Totton, have also given their support to the move.

The campaign has also received backing from MPs, Southampton and Hampshire councils and local schools.

Mason Moor school, which has 267 pupils aged 4-11, was classed as "satisfactory overall and getting better" by Ofsted inspectors in September last year. In 2003 the school was listed among the worst 200 schools in the country, although it has since made vast improvements under the former head teacher David Martindale and his replacement Sian Smith.

However, one angry parent said he felt the school was not progressing and that he was considering withdrawing his child following the news of the knife incidents.

Speaking anonymously he said: "We live in a city but you don't expect something like this at your child's primary school. Standards have gone out the window. The children involved need to know that there will be serious repercussions when they show behaviour like this. Carrying a knife, especially at the age of nine and 11, is extremely worrying."

Southampton city council Shirley South inspector Trefor Lloyd said: "This was an isolated and very rare incident in Millbrook. The police assisted them in dealing with this matter. The parents have been supportive of the action taken by both the school and police."

A council spokesman said: "Two incidents involving pupils carrying knives to school have occurred at Mason Moor Primary School in the past week. We are confident both situations were resolved in a swift and appropriate manner by the head teacher. The police will be coming into school this week to speak to the pupils about knives and the associated dangers.

"The city council and all our schools are aware of the current concerns of knife crime and are committed to educating young people on the dangers involved. In our consultations with pupils, we explore the reasons why young people carry knives, personal safety issues and the law."