Amnesty counts up 5,000 knives

The knife amnesty lasted for five weeks

More than 5,000 knives have been handed in to police forces in Wales as part of a five-week amnesty.

Swords, machetes and meat cleavers have been dropped into the special bins placed in police stations.

Senior officers said they were "very pleased" that people had responded to the message.

The Home Office said the UK amnesty was the first stage in a campaign to raise awareness of knives and reduce stabbings across the country.

The amnesty began in May and ended on 30 June.

South Wales and North Wales Police each had more than 1,700 knives handed into them, and the Dyfed-Powys force 793.

Smelted down

Gwent Police said 1,631 knives and weapons had been handed to them as a direct result of the amnesty.

Knives handed to South Wales Police included a bayonet, a cross bow bolt, and an ice axe.

All the objects recovered will be destroyed by being smelted down at a steelworks plant in the next few days.

Chief superintendent Josh Jones, from South Wales Police said: "We are very pleased by the response from the public.

"By choosing to hand over these knives, they have made their communities a lot safer.

"Some of the knives handed in may not have been directly intended to be used as an offensive weapon by the owners, but it is clear from the nature of some of the items handed in that many were."