In the latest incident, which took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, at Drumleck Drive, Shantallow, a 26 year old men was attacked with a knife.

One man appeared in court in connection with the incident yesterday.

Residents in the area say this latest incident is just the “tip of the iceberg” with anti-social behaviour spiralling in recent months.

One local resident told the Journal yesterday that, on two separate occasions during the summer, she found kitchen knives lying by the community centre.

Another householder added: “When you phone the police, they don’t bother coming out.”

However, a father of five, who has been living in the area for 19 years, described it as a quiet neighbourhood stating: “I’ve raised five children here and the only trouble I hear about is when I read it in the papers.”

Local MP Mark Durkan is also concerned at the growing use of knives: “The growing number of incidents in which knives have been used in Derry will send a shiver down the spine of very many people in our city,” he said.

“It is a problem that needs to be addressed quickly and collectively by all relevant agencies in our city – this is not an issue for just one part of our society - violent crime affects everyone.

“The community must work together with the police to tackle this type of outrageous crime and deal with the growing knife culture in our city.”

This is a view shared by Sinn Fein’s Tony Hasson: "The culture of carrying knives, especially among young people, needs to be addressed,” he said.

“We need to get the message across that carrying or using a knife is dangerous and totally wrong. I would call for a knife amnesty where young people can drop these into bins so that they may be disposed of safely and securely.”