Two knives found in park as part of weapons sweep in Kempston

as part of Operation Sceptre.

The weapons sweep was part of Operation Sceptre with a team of officers looking for knives that had been discarded or hidden for future use.

After searching undergrowth, officers recovered two knives which have now been removed and will be destroyed.

The aim of the the national week-long operation is to clamp down on knife crime and encourage people to think twice about carrying a knife.

Inspector John Nichols’ team led yesterday’s searches. He said: “We’ve taken two knives off the streets now that can’t be used to threaten or cause harm to anyone. Our work to tackle knife crime is ongoing, and we continue to work with partners, schools and retailers. It’s unacceptable to carry a knife and our message to people is simply: don’t do it.”

On Monday (12 February), officers were the Harpur Centre in Bedford and The Mall in Luton, speaking to the community about knife crime. The force’s Licensing team also ran a test purchase operation yesterday (Wednesday) to ensure retailers are aware of the law around selling knives to under 18s, and officers will be conducting high visibility patrols in hotspot areas over the next two days.

To report information about someone carrying a knife, call 101 or report it via the force’s online reporting centre. You can also call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.