Knife surrender campaign: Hundreds of knives taken off the streets

More than 600 knives were handed in as part of a knife surrender campaign.

The four-week campaign, which ended yesterday gave anyone with a knife the opportunity to surrender it anonymously.

This was part of Operation Sceptre, a national campaign to reduce knife crime and the number of families affected by knife crime.

The force says 23 knives were handed in at Hereford Police Station and around 60 handed in across Shropshire.

All the knives surrendered will be delivered to the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry where they will be used to build a plinth for a 20-foot high guardian angel sculpture in memory of those who have lost their life to knife crime.

Chief Inspector Sharon Canning said: "The streets of the Warwickshire and West Mercia policing areas are safer following this campaign. Each knife surrendered represents one less chance of another life being ended or ruined by knife crime.

"As well as taking more than 600 knives off the streets this operation has also given us the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime and the risk of carrying a knife. Hopefully, in future, people will think twice about carrying a knife."