Bedfordshire Police crack down on knife crime in new national operation

One of the knives recovered in the sweep

The force took part in Operation Sceptre - a nationwide initiative to reduce knife crime.

Over the past two weeks officers from the force have been busy conducting weapon searches, visiting knife retailers, and educating young people on the consequences of this type of crime.

As part of the operation, Bedfordshire police cadets assisted with carrying out test purchases at shops across the county.

It is illegal to sell a knife to someone who is under the age of 18, and out of the 31 shops visited, 11 failed this test.

High visibility patrols were also carried out in hot spot areas.

Sergeant Ben Dimmock, said: “Knife crime absolutely won’t be tolerated in Bedfordshire, so we felt it was important to join in with Operation Sceptre to send a clear message to our communities.

“Four dangerous knives were seized during the operation, and importantly we were also able to educate hundreds of young people on the consequences should they choose to get involved in this type of criminality.

“We’ve also been promoting our knife bins, encouraging people to bin their dangerous weapons - before it’s too late, and I would still urge people to surrender their knives - it is not worth the risk of a criminal record, or even your life.”