News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

These shocking photos show the full extent of a country-wide knife amnesty with thousands of blades handed into police forces across Britain.

Images show bins of blades collected during the national event which ran between March 11 and 17 amid wave of fatal stabbings.

Many forces saw their biggest ever haul of weapons handed in with banned butterfly knives, samurai swords and designer blades left in special bins.

The amnesty was part of a national campaign, Operation Sceptre, run by police forces across the country to reduce the number of illegal knives in circulation.

(Image: Lowestoft Police/Twitter)

It was set up after most forces saw increases in the number of knife-related incidents over the past three years.

Hertfordshire Police alone saw 680 blades dumped in marked wheelie bins at police stations including Hatfield (216), Stevenage (105) and Watford (78).

The haul included swords, military knives, knuckle dusters and a large amount of kitchen knives.

(Image: Radford Road Police/Twitter)

Other bins saw 250 blades surrendered in Potters Bar, at St Albans Civic Centre and Waltham Cross.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, said: "These amnesties are an integral part of Hertfordshire's Serious Violence Strategy to reduce the number of knives on the streets, but also to send the message out that carrying a knife won't keep you safe.

"The response from the public has been very good and we have had some great feedback.

"However, we all need to continue to work together in Hertfordshire to ensure young people are aware of the risks of carrying knives."

(Image: Humberside Police/Triangle News)

Inspector Andrew Palfreyman from Hertfordshire Constabulary's Crime Reduction Unit who led the campaign, said: "Once again we've had a great response to the amnesty, with more knives handed in than during our previous amnesties.

"The amnesties not only reduce the number of knives in circulation but also give forces a good platform to conduct a whole range of related operations including knife sweeps, knife arch detections and test purchase operations.

"The amnesties form part of our three year Serious Violence Strategy for dealing with knife crime in the county.

"As part of this strategy we are working with our partners in education, local government and social services to educate young people about the potential consequences of carrying a knife.

(Image: Humberside Police/Triangle News)

"We will also be looking at the impact that knife crime has on individuals, their families and communities and how knives are getting into the hands of under 18 year olds.

"The unlawful use or possession of a knife is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Hertfordshire and we will continue to target those we know are carrying knives."

Other forces had similar results.

Police in the seaside town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, counted 151 knives left in a bin at Lowestoft Police Station while officers in Derbyshire recovered dozens of ornate knives from their red bins.

(Image: TVP West Berkshire/Twitter)

Two samurai swords were among danger weapons left at Radford Road Police Station in Hyson Green, Notts, while in west Berkshire, sickening images show knives - including a meat cleaver - piled up after being tipped out of amnesty bins.

Even leafy Chichester, West Sussex, was not free from the scourge, with 20 knives, including several butterfly blades, handed in.

An Essex Police officer Tweeted a picture after he emptied a bin in Braintree, using the hashtags #onlycowardscarry and #noknivesinessex

Meanwhile South Wales Police's Cardiff division lined their Operation Sceptre haul up, with chilling images showing the 100 knives handed in.

(Image: Humberside Police/Triangle News)

They Tweeted: "Successful knife amnesty in Ely today.

"ElyNPT have received over 100 knives. These will be destroyed."

And officers in Mildenhall, Suffolk, said the number of knives handed in during their Operation Sceptre week was "shocking."

A picture even shows some darts handed in alongside blades in their bins.

Mildenhall Police Tweeted: "Pleasing or shocking result....as the Mildenhall knife amnesty bin reveals 126 knives surrendered during #opsceptre awareness week 2019. All will be destroyed."

(Image: Lowestoft Police/Twitter)

And officers in Humberside - where 505 knives were handed in - Tweeted a shocking picture showing their bins full of ornamental swords.

Hull's Inspector Matthew Wilson was present when the bins were unlocked and the contents revealed.

He said: "There are some very serious weapons here that will now be destroyed and will never get into the hands of anyone who intends to do harm.

"There is a mixed bag of weapons in the bins.

(Image: Northampton Neighbourhood Police/Twitter)

"Some are souvenir swords, which although are not the usual lethal weapon if the owners want to get rid of them then I am happy they've handed them in rather than them getting into the hands of anyone else who could use them to commit crime.

"Some bins got a lot more knives handed in than others with the main areas being Hull and Grimsby.

"I want to thank everyone who took the time to come to hand in these weapons."

Knife crime has surged recently with many forces seeing huge leaps in the number of offences involving blades.

Kent has seen the biggest rise since 2010 with a jump of 152% while, perhaps surprisingly, London only saw an 11% increase.

Across 34 counties in England and Wales outside London, knife related offences have risen by 45.7 per cent, according to recent figures.

There have been 26 knife murders across the UK from January 1 to March 7, while last year there were 135 homicides in London alone.