A HIGH-profile day of action to stamp out knife crime in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will take place today.

Hundreds of officers from across both counties will link up for the force-wide initiative aimed at reducing the threat of knife crime.

Random searches and high visibility patrols will be carried out across all communities - the first in a series of planned activity to rid the streets of blades.

Officers from all six operational command units together with the force support unit, dog unit and tactical firearms team will be involved in the pro-active event that will see stop and searches carried out as well as night work to reduce the amount of weapons being taken into public places.

It is the latest in a series of measures being taken under the county wide campaign called Operation Sharp launched last month.

It also comes as the Daily Echo continues its awareness drive called Carrying A Blade - It's Not Sharp, which was launched following the deaths of teenagers Lewis Singleton and Dele Little. Both died after receiving stab wounds inflicted on the streets of Hampshire.