Swords, machetes and knives among 635 weapons handed into Nottinghamshire Police

Nottinghamshire Police held a seven-day knife amnesty for a week in March, as part of national Operation Sceptre, in a bid to prevent potentially deadly weapons falling into the wrong hands.

People could drop off the knives at 16 bins across the county, without fear of prosecution for the duration of the amnesty.

The weapons handed in included swords, machetes, butterfly knives, flick knives, throwing knives, Bowie knives and bayonets.

A total of 635 weapons were handed in, with more than 200 knives handed in than during the previous amnesty in September 2018.

The weapons will now be destroyed.

Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "I would like to thank everyone in communities across Nottinghamshire who took the chance to dispose of bladed weapons during the amnesty.

"To take 635 weapons out of circulation is a phenomenal response and really shows the strength of feeling among the public and their desire to help tackle this issue. Some people question why we hold knife amnesties because criminals don't engage with them. What I would say to that is just look at the weapons that have been handed in ­- some of these are incredibly dangerous weapons that are designed to cause harm. So every weapon handed in is one less that can fall into the hands of someone who would use it for that purpose.

Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Every knife that has been handed in is one less potential weapon and in that respect this operation was a great success. But the work doesn’t stop there.

"We are all working, each and every day, to prevent knife crime. That’s why I have budgeted for officers in our schools, it’s why I have applied for additional resources, it’s why I am funding community groups and partners to provide diversionary and awareness programmes. It’s why I have driven a county-wide knife crime strategy, it’s why I have funded a knife crime lead.

"We are tackling this scourge from all angles. But this is a national issue and it needs a national response backed by appropriate resources. The toll is appalling and it has to stop.”

Dr Adam Brooks, clinical director for the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre, which is based at Queen’s Medical Centre, said: “We see consequences of knife crime at our Major Trauma Centre so a campaign which aims to reduce the number of knife-related injuries in Nottingham will always have our full support.

“The response to this campaign from the public is welcome and we will continue to work with our colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police to help prevent knife crime.”