MORE than 250 knives surrendered or seized during a week-long crackdown across Cheshire are to be destroyed.

Officers from Cheshire Police intensified their efforts in tackling knife crime this month, engaging with residents, retailers and young people across the county about knife safety.

The knife crackdown, named Operation Sceptre, ran from November 11 to 17 in conjunction with Operation Calibre, which focussed on tackling street robbery in Cheshire.

Cheshire continues to have one of the lowest rates of knife crime in the country, ranked 32 out of 43 forces.

However, over the last 12 months there has been a 5.4 per cent increase in the number of recorded offences.

The force says this is partially through a proactive stop and search approach, meaning there has been an increase in the number of people arrested for possessing bladed weapons, which in turn has helped to remove illegal weapons from Cheshire's streets.

Cheshire Police says it remains determined to reduce the number of knives and bladed weapons carried across the region.

Activities during the week-long operation included community knife sweeps, the execution of warrants concerning knife crime, engagement in the community and the stepping up of patrols in hotspot areas.

All areas in Cheshire held knife amnesty events, which allowed residents to safely dispose of any unwanted blades or weapons in secure knife surrender bins, with 254 to be destroyed.

In particular, officers in Runcorn, Knutsford and Winsford securely disposed of a variety of different bladed weapons that ranged in sizes, with samurai swords, machetes and zombie-style knives being handed in by residents.

In Warrington, officers supported the charity RAPAID in rolling out specialist, military-grade bandage kits to taxi drivers at Bank Quay train station.

In total, 50 of these kits were handed out to drivers, designed to stem serious blood loss following a knife attack or serious accident.

During the week-long Operation Sceptre, 54 stop searches were conducted, leading to six arrests.

There were also 20 community meetings held, 53 school or education inputs given, and 46 retailers visited for test-purchase operations.

Superintendent Andrew Blizard, the force’s knife crime lead, said: “We are particularly proud that, when compared to our fellow home forces, knife crime in Cheshire remains low.

“But we are seeing a considerable number of people across the county in possession of knives and bladed weapons. This is something that we as a force will not tolerate.

“We know it can be worrying to hear about people being injured or killed by knives, but I would like to reiterate that choosing to carry one yourself does not make you any safer and can put you more at risk. A knife usually makes a situation much worse.

“Tackling knife-related incidents is part of our day-to-day business of keeping everyone in Cheshire safe.

“I would like to thank our officers, staff, and partner organisations for helping Cheshire Police intensify its efforts to reduce its impact.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many Cheshire residents, youth representatives and community groups our officers engaged with over the course of the week who have helped us keep Cheshire a hostile environment for anyone who chooses to pick up a blade.”

To report any type of crime involving weapons, call Cheshire Police on 101, or always 999 in an emergency, or visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report

Anyone who knows someone that carries a knife can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org