Over 300 knives taken off Leicestershire's streets during police operation week

‘Operation Sceptre’ runs twice a year and ran from Monday 16 May 2022 to Sunday 22 May 2022.

Its aim is to educate young people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife and target those who carry weapons.

Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Drummond, from Leicestershire Police’s Violent and Complex Crime Unit, said: “We’ve had another very successful Op Sceptre and I am delighted we have taken 329 knives off our streets which can never be used to threaten or harm anyone. 

"The week is as much about awareness and engagement as it is about enforcement and we have had an incredible response to our online workshops and our new social media campaign aimed at young people."

Throughout the week the police and trading standards worked together to test whether shops were verifying the age of someone buying a knife.

47 shops were visited by an underage test purchaser and 11 shop workers failed to question the young person’s age and sold them a knife.

Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Drummond, said: “I was a little disappointed to see that eleven of the forty-seven shops we visited sold a knife to our test purchaser who was under the age of 18.  Shopkeepers should know their legal obligations when it comes to selling knives and can expect to be tested again.  A second failure could lead to prosecution."