SOME 10 knives have been surrendered in Worcester as part of a four-week campaign to make the region's streets safer.

On September 18, West Mercia Police launched a knife surrender campaign encouraging people to hand their weapons in anonymously at a police station.

Knife bins were located at police stations around the area including one at the station in Castle Street, Worcester, where people could surrender their knives anonymously.

A total of 10 were collected in Worcester, 205 in Telford, 142 in Redditch, 23 in Hereford, 20 in Leamington, 40 in Rugby as well as about 60 in Shrewsbury and 60 in Kidderminster.

In Nuneaton 23 knives, two throwing knives, two machetes, a samurai sword, meat cleaver, flick knife, knuckle duster and six bullets were surrendered. In Stratford 29 knives and one meat cleaver was handed in.

All the knives surrendered will be delivered to the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry where they will be used to build a plinth for a 20-foot high guardian angel sculpture in memory of those who have lost their life to knife crime.

Chief Inspector Sharon Canning said: "The streets of the Warwickshire and West Mercia policing areas are safer following this

campaign. Each knife surrendered represents one less chance of another life being ended or ruined by knife crime.

"As well as taking more than 600 knives off the streets this operation has also given us the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime and the risk of carrying a knife. Hopefully, in future, people will think twice about carrying a knife."