A KNIFE amnesty will help take dangerous weapons off Swindon’s streets, police hope.

The two-week knife amnesty will see people encouraged to drop illegal weapons into five police stations across the county. Officers want everything, from lock knives and sharpened screwdrivers to machetes and zombie knives.

Wiltshire Police stress that the county is a safe place to live, despite half a dozen high-profile stabbings in Swindon since the start of the year. Official police figures show that in the 12 months to March, knives were used in 267 crimes in Wiltshire including 65 robberies and two sexual assaults.

The force is holding the fortnight-long amnesty as part of its support for Op Sceptre, an anti-knife crime campaign originally launched in 2015 by the Metropolitan Police.

Sgt David Tippets, who is coordinating the knife amnesty, said: “This is an opportunity for those who have weapons to hand them over.”He said anyone caught without a good reason for having a knife, such as needing it for work, could face up to four years in prison.

In Wiltshire knife crime figures have remained static over the past year. But violent crimes are on the rise. The number of robberies in Swindon last year increased by 50 per cent to 220.

Asst Chief Constable Gavin Williams said yesterday: “Rising violence crime is a national issue. Wiltshire continues to be a really safe place to be, but we’re not complacent.

“It’s about having the right partnerships, education and instilling in people there are no legal reasons to carry knives in public, to be responsible, come in and give them up.”

Asked about the spike in stabbings in Swindon over the past year, Sgt Tippets linked them to the rise in out-of-town county lines drug gangs that travel from London and Birmingham to sell their product in the town.

He said: “I can’t argue with the fact there have been a number of stabbings. However, we haven’t seen an increase in knife crime this year. The incidents recently were quite local and linked to lifestyle [drugs].

“You can’t get away from the fact some stabbings are drugs related and County Lines plays a part within that. A lot of the high-profile stabbings this year are in relation to that.”

His message to those tempted to carry knives was clear: “The statistics say if you carry a knife you’re more likely to be a victim of knife crime. So, don’t carry a knife.”

Knives and other bladed items can be left in the red bins at Gablecross, Malmesbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham police stations. For more, call police on 101.