In an effort to save lives, young people in the borough are being urged to surrender knives in a week-long campaign that launched on Monday.

%image(15062462, type="article-full", alt="Police are encouraging people who carry blades to dispose of them in the "knife bin" at Seven Kings Methodist Church. Photo: Google Maps")

Under phase five of Operation Sceptre, police will carry out weapon sweeps, intelligence led stop and search and tackle those wanted in connection with knife related and violent crime.

Borough commander, Det Ch Supt Mandy Beacher said tackling it was a “priority” for Redbridge.

“Over the past twelve months there has been a slight rise in knife offences in the borough although the number remains small with less than one offence a day,” she said.

“The fight against knife crime is a continuous process.

“We will continue to deploy all the tactics that we use this week throughout the year.”

Launched by the Met in July 2015, the campaign coincided with new legislation - the two strikes law- that means that those convicted of carrying a knife for the second time will face a mandatory custodial sentence.

To give young people a chance, officers from the Trident and Area Crime Command have also been delivering presentations to schools to help teenagers think about the decisions they make.

Det Ch Supt Beacher urged people who carry blades to “surrender” them in one of the two “knife bins” in the borough.

She said: “Think about the trouble that can be caused due to carrying a knife. It could be used against you.

“Knife crime effects the families of victims and perpetrators. Please put the knife in one of the knife bins.”

Barbara Westcott, spokeswoman for Seven Kings Methodist Church, called one of the bins, located at the church in Seven Kings Road, Seven Kings, “important”.

She said: “We have had the bins for about 12 years.

“It is emptied regularly by the police and it does quite often contain quite a few knives.”

The second bin is located at Orchard Estate Community Hall, Broadmead Road, Woodford Green. Both bins are away from CCTV so leaving weapons can be anonymous.