They warned that such offences – which were now reaching "epidemic proportions" – must be met with severe sentences.

Sir Igor Judge, sitting with two other judges in the Court of Appeal in London, said that "carrying a knife or an offensive weapon without reasonable excuse is a crime which is being committed far too often by far too many people".

He added: "Every weapon carried about the streets, even if concealed from sight, even if not likely or intended to be used, represents a threat to public safety and public order."

Even if only carried for bravado or in a "misguided" sense that it might be used in possible self-defence "it takes but a moment of irritability, drunkenness, anger, perceived insult or something utterly trivial like a look for the weapon to be produced – then we have mayhem."

Sir Igor said: "Offences of this kind, carrying an offensive weapon or knife, have recently escalated. They are reaching epidemic proportions.

"Every knife or weapon carried in the street represents a public danger and therefore, in the public's interest, this crime must be confronted and stopped."

He described the current situation as "grave".

The comments came as Sir Igor, sitting with Mr Justice Griffith Williams and Mr Justice Saunders, dealt with four separate appeals or applications to appeal against sentence by offenders convicted in various crown courts of being in possession of a knife or other offensive weapon. One of the appeals was brought by a 34-year-old man arrested carrying an axe in a crowd waiting for the Queen during a visit in Huddersfield in May last year.

Daniel Bleazard, of Adelphi Road, Huddersfield, was jailed for a total of six years in January at Bradford Crown Court after being earlier convicted of four offences – two of possession of a bladed article, one of going equipped for theft and one of breaching an anti-social behaviour order.

The Appeal Court refused to "interfere" with the three-year sentence for the axe incident and 18 months imposed for the second offence of possessing a bladed article but cut the 18-month term he was given for breaching his Asbo to six months, resulting in a new total sentence of five years. The court dismissed the sentence challenges in the other three cases.

In Bleazard's case the sentencing judge said he believed Bleazard had wanted to provoke a reaction from armed police.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall said that Bleazard's actions could have endangered innocent children if officers had had to open fire in order to protect the Royal visitor.

Bleazard was arrested near Huddersfield rail station with the felling axe in a bag.

Jurors heard people waiting for the visit to start alerted uniformed police because a man seemed to be pushing towards the front of the crowd, into an area where children were gathered. Plainclothes police grabbed Bleazard from behind.

Giving evidence, Bleazard said he needed the axe to chop wood at his home because his chainsaw had broken. He said: "I knew there was a visit in the town centre, the Royal Family. I had a camera-phone and I just wanted to get a photograph and then I was going home."