Police search county parks for hidden knives

Officers have been carrying out searches in Derbyshire parks for knives.

Safer Neighbourhood teams across Derbyshire have been searching parks and open spaces for hidden and discarded knives.

The action comes as part of Project Zao – an operation to take knives off the street and educate people about the dangers and consequences of carrying a blade.

Chief Inspector, Richard Smith, who is in charge of the project, said: “The action is being taken as part of the work to take knives off the street.

“In some locations we have had intelligence to suggest that people are hiding knives in public places in order to lower the risk of being stopped and found in possession of them.

“In other locations the action is being taken to remove discarded knives to prevent them being used to harm someone else.

“Unfortunately we have seen in Derbyshire recently that the consequences of carrying a knife can prove fatal and we want to do all we can as part of Project Zao minimise the risk of other people becoming victims of knife crime in the county.”

The locations included in the knife sweeps are:

Queens Park - Chesterfield

Hall Leys Park - Matlock

Hornscroft Park - Bolsover

Bakestone Moor Park - Whitwell

Hodthorpe Park - Hodthorpe

Victoria Park – Ilkeston

Sandiacre Park - Sandiacre

Rainbow Park - Shirebrook

Ashbourne Park - Ashbourne

Knives can be handed in anonymously over the next three weeks up to Sunday, July 3 in any of the 13 secure bins that are located across Derbyshire.

For more information about this amnesty, and to find out where your nearest secure bin is, visit www.derbyshire.police.uk/Zao