Operation Sceptre: Almost 600 knives recovered during police week of action

594 knives have been recovered across Lancashire Police’s West Division as part of Operation Sceptre, a national week-long initiative to tackle knife crime.

Officers from West Division, which covers the areas Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre, as well as Lancaster and Morecambe, carried out a range of both operational and proactive engagement work throughout the week.

The seven knife surrender bins across West Division were emptied, in which 572 knives were recovered. Weapons included machetes, cleavers and a kukri.

Officers also conducted three search warrants and a number of stop searches throughout the week – some of which were at Lancaster Train Station during a multi-agency initiative with British Transport Police, whereby a knife arch was put up to combat criminals using rail services, those carrying knives and other vulnerabilities.

Seven weapon sweeps were carried out across the division, with some help from Blackpool Sixth Form College. Test purchases were also conducted at 19 retailers.

Proactive engagement involved community meetings, school talks (at both primary and high schools) and leaflet drops.

Sergeant Dan Whitaker from Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network said: “This is a huge result for West Division and the public have really engaged with this operation.

“It is so important to us to reach as many people as possible through operations like this. Op Sceptre holds an important message and we will continue the work to make West Division a safe place to be.”

You can find your local knife bins at:

Blackpool

84 Edgerton Road, Blackpool, FY1 2NW

The Grange, Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, FY3 7RW

Blackpool Boys and Girls Club, Bowness Avenue, Blackpool, FY1 6AA

Revoe Library, Grasmere Road, Blackpool, FY1 5HN

Fleetwood

London Street, Fleetwood, FY7 6SW