WORK to tackle knife crime across the county will intensify as part of a national week of action.

Operation Sceptre aims to highlight and enhance proactive work being done to keep communities safe from knife-related violence, as well as educating people to tackle knife crime.

During the week of education and enforcement, police in Sussex will be carrying out high-visibility, plain-clothed patrols and conducting knife sweeps in hotspot locations.

Police have also been using initiatives to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife among vulnerable and at risk groups of people, including school lessons and working with partners to signpost people to support services for help and advice.

Chief Inspector Simon Yates, the force's lead for knife crime and serious violence, said: "Sussex is a safe place to live and work, and we are committed to keeping it that way.

"As well as the educational activity, we continue to run targeted intelligence-led operations to take enforcement action against those found to be carrying and using knives in Sussex.

"These dangerous weapons have no place on our streets and we will continue to disrupt and prosecute offenders."

Knife amnesty bins will be available at stations across the county to allow people to safely dispose of dangerous knives and blades with no questions asked.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: "Too many young people lose their lives or their futures every year as a result of knife injuries.

"We need to get the message out that carrying a knife will not make you safer or earn you respect, but it could make you a target of violence or earn you a criminal record.

"If you or someone you know is walking around armed with a knife, have a hard think about the consequences. Drop them in the amnesty bins around the county or leave them in the kitchen or workshop drawer where they belong - lose the knife, not a life."

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