Some 49 children have been arrested by police for carrying lethal weapons in the last three years.

The worrying picture has emerged at a time when blades are the scourge of the nation's streets.



Only yesterday the Mail told how a 13-year-old girl was able to buy two knives in a Hartlepool shop during an undercover sting.

That led to trading standards officers warning that a tough line will be taken against any shopkeepers caught selling blades to youngsters and the age restriction for buying knives from 18 to 21.



Figures obtained by the Mail following a Freedom of Information request show that police arrested 49 children between 12 and 17 for carrying an assortment of 57 weapons in the town during the last three years.

In 2005, 17 children were arrested. That dropped to 13 in 2006 but worryingly rose to 19 last year.

In one case a 13 year old was arrested carrying a meat cleaver, a knife and a lump of wood with a nail hammered through it.

Others weapons seized included a sword, hunting knife, axe, flick knife, knuckle dusters, home-made cosh and an imitation firearm.

Police chiefs were quick to state that despite the shocking nature of the crimes they are in the minority of offences.

Hartlepool's Acting Chief Inspector Mick Brown said: "There is nothing romantic or glamorous about weapons at all.

"But the fact remains that this is a very small percentage of youths who will have been arrested in Hartlepool."

Before the turn of the year the Mail joined forces with Hartlepool Police in a bid to get knives off the street.

The Bin the Blades campaign saw more than 100 knives, ranging from small domestic blades up to samurai swords, dropped into an amnesty bin in the town's police station.

Yesterday Cleveland Police launched a new force-wide knife amnesty that will run until Sunday, October 12.

Again there will be a bin in Hartlepool's station and also one in Billingham's for anyone to anonymously drop knives and blades into.

The Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Sean Price, said: "While we haven't yet seen the knife carrying culture here that exists in some other parts of the country, we aren't being complacent.

"Carrying a knife isn't cool. It's illegal and people found carrying knives will be prosecuted. "People don't realise sometimes just how dangerous a knife can be. They can cause serious and even fatal injuries.

"We want to make the streets of Cleveland safer by removing as many as we can. No questions asked – hand it in."