A campaign to remove dangerous weapons from the streets of Gwent has been launched today by police.

Bins have been placed at five police stations across the county where anyone can safely and anonymously dispose of a knife without being prosecuted.

Operation Sceptre is a nationwide week of action to tackle knife crime and serious violence.  The bins are at the following police stations from 26 April to 2 May.

• Newport Central-  8am – 10pm
• Monmouth- 9am – 5pm
• Blackwood- 9am – 5pm
• Ebbw Vale- 9am – 5pm
• Cwmbran- 9am – 5pm

Superintendent Glyn Fernquest 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 Op 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.

“Alongside this national week of action, we are continuing to address knife crime as part of our daily policing with officers conducting intelligence lead stop-searches to deter those who may believe that carrying a knife is a sensible option.

“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.”