Knife crime Definitely Maybe linked to games, claims Oasis man

Oasis’ guitarist Noel Gallagher has named violent videogames as one factor behind the spate of knife crimes affecting UK youth.

Gallagher voiced his thoughts on videogame violence and its supposed link to knife crime while collecting a music award last week. According to a report by the BBC, he said: “People say [knife crime arises] through violent videogames, and I guess that's got something to do with it.”

He added: "If kids are sitting up all night smoking super skunk and they become so desensitised to crime because they're playing these videogames, it's really, really scary."

The link between knife crimes and violent videogames has never been proven, but reports studying the effect of violent videogames on young minds have given mixed conclusions.

For example, a $1.5m (£770,000/€970,000) study funded by the US Department of Justice found that violent videogames may prompt the odd harmless scuffle in the playground, but won’t turn children into real-life murders.