Tina and Trevor Harfield who fought off a youth who said he had a knifeQUEEN'S SPEECH: Today the Queen's speech in Parliament will announce what new legislation will be discussed in the forthcoming Parliament.

Westminster correspondent Mark Hookham, and Tamash Lal examine these proposals.

TONY Blair is expected to unveil tough new laws designed to rid the streets of knife-wielding youths as part of the Queen's speech today.

The Prime Minister will use the showpiece opening of Parliament to outline the blueprint for his third and final term in government.

The Government will unveil a packed legislative programme including 40 bills many more than usual because the election means that the extended session will last 18 months instead of 12.

Central to the speech, which is written for the monarch by cabinet minis-

ters, will be measures designed to cut down on violent crime.

These include plans to raise the minimum age for buying knives from 16 to 18 and introducing restrictions on the sale of replica fire-arms.

Both proposals have been welcomed by Swindon South MP Anne Snelgrove.

"I am in complete agreement. I can remember a while ago the Evening Advertiser carrying a story about two youngsters waving around a replica gun and I was really shocked.

"On the knives issue, we are facing a situation where more and more youngsters are taking knives out to look cool. A 14-year-old can easily look like a 16-year-old so we need an 18 limit backed up with proof of ID."

Any plan to crack down on the sale of knives has been welcomed by Swindon shopkeeper Tina Harfield.

Earlier this year, Tina was threatened by a youth who said he was carrying a knife.

He fled the Grange Drive store she runs with her husband Trevor empty handed after 55-year-old Tina clobbered him with an axe handle.

She said: "It has destroyed my trust in people, and I'm very wary of people who look a bit unsavoury.

"The awful thing about knife crime is that you hear about so many random attacks."

Last year an Advertiser investigation exposed how easy it is for under-16s to buy knives. A 15-year-old girl bought a three-inch paring knife without any questions being asked.

Blades shorter than 4in can be sold to children but our expos worried town trading standards officer Phil Thomas.

He said: "Unless the knife was specifically marked, how would the person at the counter know the exact length of the blade?"