POLICE in Radnorshire have taken a number of potential weapons off the street after announcing they have had a quantity of knives handed in as part of an amnesty week.

Earlier this week, Dyfed Powys Police announced the launch of Operation Sceptre – running from April 26 to May 2 – whereby people living in Powys, as well as Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire, are being encouraged to leave unwanted knives in amnesty bins at designated police stations.

And the force revealed a number of blades have already been handed in at Llandrindod Wells Police Station or to Radnorshire-based officers, including PC Wayne Ballard and PCSO Mike Davies.

“As part of #OpSceptre Neighbourhood Policing Teams officers have been engaging with local businesses throughout Radnorshire, 862 & 8052 have been handed a number of knives,” Radnorshire Police tweeted on Thursday.

“Remember you can drop off any unwanted knives in the amnesty bins at Llandrindod Police Station between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.”

The force also wants people to know how to safely dispose of knives and blades outside the amnesty period, and to urge anyone involved in a household clearance, or those who would consider leaving knives at a charity shop, to instead take them to a recycling centre for safe disposal.

Inspector Andrew Williams said: “Dyfed Powys remains a safe place to live, work and visit, and thankfully we don’t face the level of knife crime other areas see.

“For this campaign we are focussing on keeping knives that could travel to other areas out of criminal hands.

“It can be difficult to know the right thing to do with an old knife or set of knives, and we want to spread the word that the safest place to take them is to the tip.

“Many types of blades are legal to sell but have a questionable purpose. We will be working with retailers to discuss the law and what is sensible.

“We will also be reinforcing the message about the dangers of carrying knives, which is a crime that brings that added risk that a minor issue can escalate into something much more serious and potentially life changing.

“The damage caused by knives, not just to the victim and their families, but also to the wider community, can be devastating. We will be doing all we can to keep knives out of the wrong hands.”

To find your nearest recycling centre, visit your local council’s website. For Powys County Council, visit https://www.powys.gov.uk/.

For information on the laws around knife crime, and when it is legal to carry a knife, visit the Dyfed Powys Police website at https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/news/dyfed-powys/news/2021/april-2021/op-sceptre-how-to-get-rid-of-an-old-knife/