Merseyside Police recover 31 knives recovered in outdoor searches

An officer searching land in Bootle as part of the operation

A haul of 31 knives has been recovered by police during searches of parks and canals across Merseyside.

Officers also made 54 arrests connected to violent crime over the last week, and seized a further 14 blades during stop-and-search operations.

The action was part of he £4.2m-funded Operation Target, which launched in July to tackle violent crime.

Ch Supt Matt Boyle said he wanted to reassure people knife crime was being tackled.

In 2018, Merseyside Police recorded one of the biggest increases in rknife offences in the UK, with 1,231 crimes involving a knife.