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A knife amnesty bin has been set up at Blackwood Police Station in an attempt to curb knife crime.

Throughout this week, Gwent Police is running a knife amnesty campaign – encouraging people in possession of dangerous weapons to get rid of them anonymously – and without the risk of prosecution.

The campaign is part of Operation Sceptre – a nationwide event aimed at raising awareness of and tackling knife crime.

The police station will be open between 9am and 5pm each day this week for anyone wanting to get rid of any knives.

The bins were opened on Monday, April 26 and will be there until Sunday, May 2.

Superintendent Glyn Fernquest, of Gwent Police, said: “Knife crime remains rare for the majority of our communities, but it has risen nationally and as a force, we are no exception to that.

“As these sorts of crimes are becoming more high profile, the concern from our communities grows, and so we would like to reassure the public that we are committed to keeping our communities safe.

“There are a number of ways that we are addressing knife crime in Gwent, including continuing to run operations such as Operation Sceptre which focuses on removing knives from our streets. As part of daily policing, our officers conduct intelligence lead stop-search powers to target those who may commit violent crime.”

He added: “I want to reassure communities that anyone caught carrying a knife, no matter the reason, we will stop them, search them, seize the weapon and deal with them proportionally through the criminal justice system. Every knife taken off the streets is another life potentially saved.

“If anyone has any information about individuals involved in knife crime or has any concerns, please call Gwent police on 101 or direct message us via Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.”

Knife amnesty bins have also been set up at police stations in Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale, and Monmouth, as well as at Newport Central Police Station.