A knife amnesty at Sandbach police station will be in place tomorrow as part of a national campaign to take knives off the streets.

Cheshire Police are taking part in Operation Sceptre this week which aims to reduce the impact of knife crime in communities across the country.

Cheshire has one of the lowest rates of knife crime in England, and statistics show that the number of knife-related offences committed in the county decreased by 24 per cent from the end of March 2020 to the end of March 2021.

The force says it is determined to further reduce the number of knives carried on Cheshire's streets.

Cheshire Constabulary has a multi-faceted approach to tackling knife crime as it endeavours to achieve weapons-free streets throughout the county.

As part of the initiative officers attended Sandbach Boys School to talk to Year 7's about knife crime.

Sandbach police station will also be running a knife amnesty tomorrow (29 April).

A police spokesperson said: "If you have a bladed article that you wish to safely dispose of please bring it along to Sandbach Police Station tomorrow between 9-10am or 2-3pm. No questions will be asked!"

The operation will also see constabularies work alongside Border Force to identify people who import knives into the country from overseas, as well as those who buy weapons online, and take the appropriate action.

Chief Inspector Sarah Heath, who is Cheshire Constabulary's knife crime lead, said: "Nationally, knife crime is a growing problem, and the week-long Operation Sceptre campaign is an initiative that the force is always more than happy to support.

"We were severely restricted in terms of the work we could do during last year's two weeks of action for Operation Sceptre, with them having fallen when the country was in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Now that we have come out of lockdown, there are more avenues open to us in terms of tackling knife crime across Cheshire over the seven days.

"However, knife crime is an issue that the force tackles throughout the year, with officers working day and night to protect communities. We take knife crime extremely seriously and are proud of the fact that Cheshire has a lower rate of knife crime than most other counties in England."

She added: "When people carry knives, it is only a matter of time before someone suffers life-changing injuries or is killed, and if you carry a knife then you are much more likely to be involved in a knife crime.

To report any type of crime involving weapons, call Cheshire Constabulary on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Information can also be passed to the force online via Report.

Anyone who knows someone that carries a knife can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers.