Fury over Facebook knifing game

Anti-knife crime campaigners have attacked the internet site Facebook for allowing a "disgusting" knifing game.

Members of the social networking site have been using a blade icon to virtually "shank" - a street term meaning stab - other users.

John Knox, uncle of Rob Knox, the Harry Potter actor who was stabbed to death in May, told the Sun the website was "disgusting" and that the game targeted young thugs who carried knives.

The virtual knife threat features in Facebook's "Superpoke!" application, which allows users to send virtual actions such as hugs, kisses and winks to any other user.

The shank icon now appears to have been removed from Facebook. Screenshots featuring the icon, a knife with a silver blade and black handle, appear in the Sun.

Mr Knox told the Sun: "Why the hell would a social networking site for teenagers put something like this forward? If the authorities really want to get tough on knife crime, the CEO or directors of Facebook should be arrested for inciting violence.

"The stupidity of having this on their site is unbelievable. And they deliberately use the street term 'shanked', which is even worse. They are targeting the kids who are on street corners carrying knives. Members can use the shank icon on anyone else with a Facebook profile, who will then receive a message saying they have been "shanked".

Raymond Stewart of anti-crime group Urban Concepts said: "It's appalling. We completely condemn it."

The Superpoke! application is not created by Facebook, but by an American software company called Slide.com, and hosted on the social networking site. It is one of many software applications created by third-party companies that users can download for free and add to their profiles.

Superpoke! is a big hit with teenagers and one of the most popular applications on Facebook. Facebook and Slide.com were not available for comment.

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