Hundreds of knives taken off the streets following campaign
A knife surrender campaign by Warwickshire and West Mercia Police has seen more than 265 knives handed in at two Shropshire police stations.
In Telford 205 knives and three swords were handed in, whilst in Shrewsbury, around 60 knives were handed over.
In total, more than 600 knives were handed in across the force area.
The four-week campaign, which ended yesterday gave anyone with a knife the opportunity to surrender it anonymously at police stations around the region. It was part of Operation Sceptre, a national campaign to reduce knife crime and the number of families affected by knife crime.
All the knives surrendered will be delivered to the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry where they will be used to build a plinth for a 20-foot high guardian angel sculpture in memory of those who have lost their life to knife crime.
Chief Inspector Sharon Canning said: "The streets of the Warwickshire and West Mercia policing areas are safer following this campaign. Each knife surrendered represents one less chance of another life being ended or ruined by knife crime.
"As well as taking more than 600 knives off the streets this operation has also given us the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime and the risk of carrying a knife. Hopefully, in future, people will think twice about carrying a knife."
