OPPOSITION MSPs have hit out after plans to license knife dealers were delayed.

Shops will now not need a licence until June 2010 after ministers agreed the timetable was too ambitious to put in place this year.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said the delay was "disappointing" and called for the crackdown on knife crime to be given top priority.

The Scottish Government also agreed to a longer period of record keeping but ruled out several other suggestions.

Shops will have to display signs warning of the minimum age for buying knives, similar to those for alcohol and tobacco.

The Government rejected having serial numbers etched on blades to allow police to track them back to a purchase.

It was considered too costly and difficult to implement.

Suggestions for background checks on buyers, training of sellers and exempting shops selling souvenirs to tourists were also refused.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "One of the main issues raised in the consultation responses was that many licensing authorities considered that the timescale for implementing the scheme was too ambitious, particularly in the context of pressure from the work currently being undertaken to make transition to the new alcohol licensing system a success."

The new regulations will go before MSPs in May, with a deadline of December for applications for licences. All dealers must be licensed by June 1, 2010.

But opposition MSPs are not satisfied with the revised timetable.

Mr Aitken said: "I find this disappointing. While I appreciate the pressure on councils I think knife crime has to be given a higher priority.

"The drinks licensing is valuable but the knife licensing has the potential to avoid knives falling into the wrong hands of those who might be prepared to use them.

"It's a pity we are not likely to have this legislation enacted before next year."

The bill was initially introduced in 2007 by the then Labour justice minister Cathy Jamieson. Labours current justice spokesman Richard Baker said it was disappointing the start date was being delayed.

He said: "We would be concerned by any delay. People are extremely concerned about the high level of knife crime. It is an issue that is not going away.."

Earlier this year, a knife crime summit was held at Holyrood following a 15,000-name petition by John Muir of Inverkip, whose son Damian was stabbed to death in a Greenock street.

Mr Muir called for mandatory jail sentences for people possessing knives.

The government spokesman added: "It is important to get things right in this important area. That means making sure the final scheme is workable and can be enforced and the licensing authorities which will administer a scheme are in a position to do so.

"Our commitment to licensing of knife dealers remains.

"Legislation is important but it won't change the knife culture on its own. That's why there are the range of other actions that we support through the Violence Reduction Unit."