Samurai swords, a crossbow, meat cleaver and hunting knives among weapons handed in to Cleveland Police during week-long amnesty

Some of the weapons handed in including Samurai swords, a crossbow, meat cleaver, hunting knives and knives which people have made their own modifications to.

The national knife surrender, which saw bins were placed at the main police stations in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton, and Redcar and Cleveland, collected 385 knives and blades.

The haul of weapons included Samurai swords, a crossbow, meat cleaver, hunting knives and knives which people have made their own modifications to.

Insp Jon Hagen with some of the weapons handed in including Samurai swords, a crossbow, meat cleaver, hunting knives and knives which people have made their own modifications to.

Throughout the campaign, officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) visited local schools to raise awareness of the dangers of knives and sharp objects with the aim of educating young people and deterring them from engaging in knife crime and violence.

In the 12-months up to December 2018, there were 415 knife crime incidents in Cleveland, a reduction of 10% on the previous year.

Inspector Jon Hagen, of Cleveland Police, said: “We’re pleased that the knife surrender has resulted in 385 knives and sharp objects being handed in. Essentially, this stops these items potentially getting into the wrong hands and being used as weapons. The simple fact is that in the wrong hands, knives can be deadly.

“We will continue our work alongside partner agencies in Cleveland to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying knives and to prevent and reduce the risk of knife crime and serious violence. We will also continue the work within schools to educate the younger generation about these issues and to help them feel empowered to challenge certain behaviours."

Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger, said: “Serious violence is a priority on my agenda and I am very pleased to see that this campaign has been successful in recovering knives and sharp objects removing them from the streets of Cleveland.

“As part of the work I do to help tackle serious violence, I have provided funding for School Liaison and Early Intervention Officers to help deter children from crime and my office has secured £546,000 from the Early Intervention Youth Fund to drive forward targeted outreach projects in our most at-risk communities.

"I will continue to work alongside partners including Public Health in a bid to drive down crime involving knives.”