Police seize 150 knives across Lancashire in week-long crackdown on knife crime

Almost 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crime.
By Matthew Calderbank
Published 26th Sep 2019, 12:28 BST
Updated 26th Sep 2019, 13:28 BST
Nearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crimeNearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crime
Nearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crime

The knives were handed in as part of Op Sceptre, a week long programme of action aimed at reducing knife crime in Britain.

The week of action included a knife amnesty, where owners of illegal knives could surrender the weapons in bins at police stations across the county.

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Lancashire Police said it also carried out knife crime test purchasing and crime prevention visits to local schools.

Nearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crimeNearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crime
Nearly 150 knives have been taken off the streets in Lancashire as part of a national week of action aimed at tackling knife crime

The breakdown of knives recovered or surrendered in each area was: West – 27, East – 50, South – 70.

This led to a total of 147 knives being surrendered across Lancashire.

There were 15 Test Purchase operations at retailers, with four shops failing the test by selling knives to children.

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Chief Inspector Steve Anderton said: "We are pleased with how the week has gone but there is more to do.

"Selling a knife to or buying a knife for anyone under the age of 18 is a criminal offence and we work closely with our partners at trading standards to educate retailers."

"Lancashire Constabulary is being really pro-active about how it tackles knife crime.

"We are continuing to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife among children and young people, regularly visiting schools to talk to students about the dangers of carrying a knife.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy towards knife possession, and anyone who is found to be in possession of a knife could face up to five years in prison."