A WEEK-LONG knife amnesty starts today.

North Yorkshire and Humberside Police are taking part in Operation Sceptre, encouraging people to leave their knives in ‘surrender bins’ at stations, including York, Selby Malton, Harrogate and Northallerton.

Posters will go up at schools to highlight the dangers of carrying knives, and the force will raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime on social media.

A spokeswoman said: “It is not just young people officers would like to educate about the dangers knives can pose if they get into the wrong hands.People who have decorative knives, which may have belonged to older relatives or have been purchased abroad, are also being asked to surrender their potential weapons in one of the bins provided.”

Bins will be at Fulford Road police station from 8am to 10pm daily, and at Selby police station from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 4.30pm on Friday.