Dangerous knives have been seized from the streets of Huddersfield as part of a national week of action to raise awareness of knife crime.

Officers from the Huddersfield Neighbourhood Policing Team seized three knives from areas including Deighton and Dalton as part of Operation Sceptre.  

The NPT is joining other neighbourhood policing teams across all five districts of West Yorkshire in taking part in the national initiative.

Operation Sceptre is intended to both raise awareness of knife crime through education and also prevent it through targeted action in communities.

Neighbourhood officers and colleagues from West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Jemlock Team carried out weapon sweeps to search for discarded implements, spoke in schools and made test purchases at retailers which sell knives.

Chief Insp Graham Dyson, of Kirklees Police, said: “NPT officers from across Kirklees are taking part in Operation Sceptre this week and the team have been busy on weapons sweeps in areas of the district which local intelligence suggests are used as areas for discarding knives.

“Several weapons have already been recovered in Huddersfield and those weapons will be examined and then destroyed.

“A number of educational inputs will also be taking place as it is vitally important we continue work amongst young people to make them aware of the genuine peril they can put themselves in by carrying bladed weapons.”

Chief Insp James Kitchen, of West Yorkshire Police’s Operation Jemlock, said: “The national Operation Sceptre week is important to help raise awareness of knife crime and the horrific consequences it can have.

“Work to tackle knife crime is carried out on a daily basis across West Yorkshire but weeks such as this allow us to work with partners locally and nationwide to focus time, resources and attention on what we do to combat it.

“A main part of our focus remains on education and early intervention to deter young people from picking up a knife. Over the past 12 months we have removed over 600 weapons from the streets of West Yorkshire, and this week is seeing us further this important work.”