Youths come up with knife amnesty

Knives can be dropped off in special bins

Young people have joined forces with police in a bid to crack down on knife crime on Teesside.

Cleveland Police force has set up a knife amnesty, after the move was suggested by the Stockton Youth Independent Advisory Group.

Members wanted to show that young people did not support knife crime and to present a more positive image.

No questions will be asked during the campaign which will run in the Stockton area for five weeks from Thursday.

Chief Constable Sean Price said: "While we haven't yet seen the knife carrying culture here that exists in some other parts of the country, we aren't being complacent.

"Carrying a knife isn't cool. It's illegal and people found carrying knives will be prosecuted.

"People don't realise sometimes just how dangerous a knife can be. They can cause serious and even fatal injuries.

"We want to make the streets of Cleveland safer by removing as many as we can."

He added: "No questions asked, hand it in."