ALMOST 20 knives have been handed into Accrington police station in the first week of a national knife amnesty.
But Accrington police chief, Inspector Terry Woods, said the town does not have a "knife culture".
Among the 19 blades handed in were kitchen knives and a flick knife.
The nationwide amnesty, the first in almost a decade, allows people to hand in weapons without fear of prosecution, and follows high-profile fatal stabbings in Cumbria and North London.
In Lancashire it is being run as part of Operation Summer Nights, the constabulary's summer campaign to reduce crime and disorder which, this year, is focusing on criminal damage.
According to police figures, between January 2003 and December 2005 almost 20per cent of all knife crime involved criminal damage.
Insp Woods said the number of knives handed in at Accrington police station was "encouraging".
Knife bins are sited at every police station within Eastern Division.
The amnesty runs until June 30.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article