Police have recovered 338 knives and made 20 knife-related arrests as officers vow to tackle street crime in Hampshire.

It comes as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary joined forces across the country for a knife crime week of action named Operation Sceptre.

The scheme ran between November 11 and 17, with intensified police operational activity carried out to make communities safer from knife-related crimes.

Officers in Eastleigh checked the Leigh Road Recreation Ground and the Southampton team swept the area in St Mary’s.

A total of eight knife sweeps were carried out through the week and as a result, two weapons were found.

Following Operation Sceptre, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, said: “Knife crime has a devastating impact on victims, friends, families and communities.

“Whilst knife crime is falling, we must not be complacent. The work we are doing is making a difference.”

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Officers during a knife sweep in Southampton (Image: Hampshire Constabulary)

Permanent knife surrender bins were made available at all police stations last year to provide a safe way for the public to anonymously dispose of any knives or offensive weapons.

As part of Operation Sceptre, the knife surrender bins continue to be available to the public.

This includes mobile surrender bins and collections made by officers, which helped lead to 319 weapons being handed over.

Tactical Lead for Knife Crime, Acting Inspector Christian Lavin, said: “Efforts have been intensified by officers across the force during the Operation Sceptre week to tackle knife crime in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, which have made a huge impact.

“These figures can seem worrying, but year on year, we are taking more knives off the streets in our communities, which is making a difference as knife-related crimes reduced by 8.6 per cent compared to the last four years.

“We will continue to robustly tackle knife crime with a zero-tolerance approach all year round with our partners to make our communities safer from serious violence.”

Hampshire police worked closely with the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), educational institutions, local authorities, charities, and youth workers to prevent young people from being drawn into knife crime.

Officers visited 47 schools across the districts with the aim to educate young people on the dangers of knife crime and prevent them from being drawn into serious violence.

Knife sweeps were carried out in open spaces across the county to clear them of any discarded or hidden knives.