A NATIONAL knife amnesty which has just over a week to run has had mixed success at local level.

While the appeal, which was launched on December 20, has been largely ignored at Blackburn and Darwen police stations there has been a good response in Accrington.

Crime prevention officer at Accrington police station, Sergeant Dave Shepherd, said that over 50 knives and blades have been handed in in the past couple of weeks.

He said: "People are still coming in with knives and this week somebody handed in a World War One bayonet with another person surrendering two 3ft regimental swords. These are the type of instruments we are looking for because people may be at a dilemma as how to get rid of them.

"Putting them in their own waste disposal bin would only cause concern so the bin outside the police station is the ideal way of disposing them safely."

However in Blackburn and Darwen, the sealed bins placed outside the police stations for the knives to be put in have remained nearly empty.

Insp Stuart Caley told the Citizen: "We have been disappointed with the response so far and we feel that there must be a lot of knives and blades or similar instruments still in circulation.

"There may be people who have knives but are unsure what to do with them. We appeal to them to take them to the bins provided and no questions will be asked."

The amnesty was launched after the death of headteacher Phillip Lawrence who was stabbed outside his London school and has the backing of chief constables and Home Secretary Michael Howard.

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