Over 600 knives recovered during knife crime awareness week in Lancashire

A total of 658 knives have been recovered by Lancashire Police during knife crime awareness week across areas of Lancashire.

Lancaster and Morecambe were included in this campaign, as well as local towns Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

As part of the knife crime awareness week (which ran from 18th-24th May), Lancashire Constabulary report police officers recovered knives through surrender bins, warrants and stop searches in this region.

This awareness week was run as part of the police’s national campaign Operation Spectre by Lancashire Violence Reduction Network (VRN), where the aim is to “bring together policing, education, health, local authorities, and community groups to reduce knife harm”.

As well as seizing over 600 knives in Lancashire Constabulary’s West Division, the police and its partners delivered a total of 21 educational and community events and visited 40 retailers throughout awareness week. They also conducted 26 test purchasing operations, of which two retailers failed and sold a knife to an underage buyer – Lancashire Constabulary ensures that these retailers are working closely with LCC trading standards to prevent this from happening again.

Sergeant Dan Whitaker, from Lancashire’s Violence Reduction Network said: “Knife crime has no place in our society and we will continue to work with partners across West division to prevent knife crime and educate communities on its dangers.

“Sceptre is just a snapshot into the type of work we undertake on a daily basis to tackle knife crime and offers an important opportunity to showcase all the hard work going on behind the scenes. I am pleased to see May’s week of action has seen so many positive outcomes and with early intervention, education, and strong enforcement, we will continue to address the root causes of violence as well as its consequences.”

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The LVRN Annual Report 2026 showed significant progress in knife crime prevention in the region, noting that there were “no homicide victims under the age of 25” and that Lancashire police recorded the “lowest number of homicides in over a decade in 2025”.

This work is funded with over £600,000 by the Home Office’s Knife Crime Concentration Fund, which allows Lancashire Police to take action in areas of the West Division most affected by knife crime.

Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, said: “Knife crime is preventable, and I strongly support national plans to drive it down further.

“Here in Lancashire, we’re already showing what works – early intervention, strong partnerships, and a relentless focus on prevention. The results speak for themselves, with significant reductions in serious violence and fewer young people becoming victims.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, I will continue to back the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network to strengthen collaboration, protect vulnerable communities, and build on this progress.”

If you have any information about knife crime in your area, call 101 or report anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

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