Staffordshire Police collect 120 knives in Operation Sceptre

The Knife Angel sculpture, dedicated to victims of knife crime, visited Stoke-on-Trent earlier in the year

Police in Staffordshire have collected 120 knives in a two-week campaign.

Operation Sceptre saw surrender bins placed in Burton upon Trent, Cannock, Hanley and Longton police stations as well as Hanley Fire Station.

Officers also carried out a series of weapon sweeps and stop and searches, with four arrests made.

Local charity Chit Chat 4U, which supports families of those caught up in violence, was also involved.

Ch Insp Robert Hessell said it was important to "highlight and encourage conversations around knife crime".

"It is usually the case that the majority of young people will never be affected by knife crime, but by encouraging awareness and providing a safe space for people to ditch their blades, we hope we have helped to continue to make our communities a safer place to be," he said

Trading standards teams supported the operation by carrying out test purchases to see if stores would sell knives to underage children.

All but one correctly refused to sell them.

Operation Sceptre continues until Sunday, although the force said its wider Ditch The Blade campaign would carry on targeting young people across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.