Operation Sceptre: Scarborough joins latest knife amnesty effort by North Yorkshire Police

Residents can safely dispose of their unwanted knifes in amnesty bins or hand them in without fear of prosecution during the amnesty period, which runs until Monday November 22.

Bins will be available at police stations in Scarborough, Malton, York, Skipton, Harrogate, Northallerton and Richmond. Anyone wanting ti dispose of a knife is asking to ensure it is transported safely.

Detective Superintendent Fran Naughton of North Yorkshire Police said: "Fortunately rates of knife crime in North Yorkshire are low, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work for us to do to keep it that way. It only takes one knife in the wrong hands to cause utter devastation to a family."

As part of Operation Sceptre, North Yorkshire Police's youth team will be carrying out workshops with young people who may be thinking of or already carrying knives, and encouraging them to make the right decisions.

Officers are also reminding the public about changes to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 in July, which now explicitly bans the possession of certain weapons such as knuckledusters, throwing stars and zombie knives, even in private.

Detective Superintendent Naughton added: "Operation Sceptre gives us the opportunity to ensure the warnings around the fatal consequences of carrying knives are kept at the forefront of the public’s mind, and helps us rid them from our streets.

"It also provides us with a platform to send out a clear deterrence message to anyone who carries a knife for self-defence; that it’s a completely false sense of security.

"Producing a knife does not de-escalate a confrontation, it makes a bad situation worse and drastically increases the chance of you yourself being injured by that blade.

"To anyone who is concerned for a friend or family member who they think maybe carrying a knife, please speak to them and explain the dangers.

"Tell them safer and smarter thing to do is to put the knife down or come and surrender it this week at a bin located at one of our police stations. You don’t have to give us your name – just come and put the knife in the bin. You could be saving a life.

"Officers will be proactively targeting any knife related offences and we will use our powers where necessary, to prevent injury or worse. So my advice is to put down the knife. By doing so you make yourself and those around you safer.

"Anyone with information on knife crime in their local community can always contact police on 101 or pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999"