The British knife crime epidemic has gone virtual! Are your kids safe when they go online-safe from knives? No! Not while Facebook was condoning the existence of a "SuperPoke" application that allowed thuggish social networkers to "Shank" their friends. Thank god the UK tabloids have hollered enough to ensure that none of our children will be virtually shanked again! The Sun is outraged. In London there have been 21 teen knife murders this year! That's the average total from a single LA house party gone wrong, but no matter. The manufacturer of SuperPoke, Slide, has pulled the application, and these digital knife-pokings have been stopped. Should everyone now go to jail?

Members could use the blade icon to deliver the "attack" to any friend or stranger who has a profile. The victim then received a chilling message saying they had been "shanked". The SuperPoke! system is a favourite among teens, with more than a BILLION virtual actions sent – including kisses, hugs and slaps. A Scotland Yard spokesman said no offence was committed when users sent the "shank" message.

Next up for The Sun: ridding the world of sharp, pointed objects. [Sun UK]