More than 1,400 knives were seized in a week of action across Lancashire after warrants were issued for properties and a barrage of stop and searches.

As part of National Knife Crime Awareness Week, the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network completed 331 stop and searches and searched seven properties, leading to 90 arrests.

Officers from Lancashire Constabulary engaged directly with the public through mobile police stations stationed in busy commuter and shopping areas, while a knife arch was deployed at key transport hubs to deter weapon carrying.

Additionally, they engaged with nearly 16,000 young people through workshops and assemblies in schools, colleges, youth clubs and other community settings.

They aimed to challenge attitudes towards knife carrying, explore the devastating consequence of violence and empower young people to make positive choices.

The action came as a shocking new report revealed children as young as 11 are carrying blades because they feel unsafe where they live.

Individuals shared their stories of knife crime and highlighted the dangers of carrying a knife hit home which was considered to have helped young people steer away from violence.

Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Carrying or using knives is completely unacceptable and unnecessarily puts lives at risk.

"Tackling serious violence will be a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire and I will ensure that Lancashire Police have the tools and resources they need to tackle this issue head on.

 "Policing can't deal with knife crime in isolation and education has a key part to play in reducing the number of people carrying knives.

“Working with charities like our Football Community Trusts as we are doing through our Violence Reduction Network, is a fantastic opportunity to engage with young people across Lancashire.

“Anything we can do to prevent knife crime is positive for Lancashire and ultimately makes our county safer."

Additionally, Lancashire’s 23 knife surrender bins provided a safe way for individuals to dispose of dangerous weapons and contributed to a significant number of knives recovered during the week.

Chief Inspector Dave Oldfield, operational lead for Lancashire VRN, added: “Operation Sceptre isn’t just about enforcement – it is about prevention, education, and building trust.

“The recovery of over 1,400 knives and the engagement of more than 15,000 young people shows the significant strides we are making.

“But the work doesn’t stop here. By continuing to collaborate and address the root causes of knife crime, we can make communities safer for everyone.”

Trading standards also collaborated with police to visit 70 retail stores to test compliance with knife sale laws by using underage volunteers, and 27 of these stores failed.