Can you spot these knives? Police warning over blades 'hidden in plain sight'

Police tackling Britain’s knife epidemic today issued a chilling warning about blades being hidden ‘in plain sight’ so criminals can grab them in seconds.

Greater Manchester Police have urged the public to ‘open your eyes to the knives’ as they released images of the everyday public locations where weapons are stashed for easy access.

These places are often in bushes, parks, gaps in walls, and other areas where normal people would not normally think of.

This warning came after an alarming increase of stabbings this year with 17 people murdered in London alone.

A recent victim was Jodie Chesney, who was playing music with her friends when she was stabbed in the back.

Senior officers met with Home Secretary Sajid Javid last week to talk about the surge in knife crime and the number of police officers in England and Wales, which have dropped by more than 20,000 since 2010.

GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “It’s a sad fact that people are not only carrying knives, but are now also hiding weapons in and around public places and that can be very worrying for members of the public.

“The more knives that are on the streets only leads to one outcome – more people getting hurt – and we are determined to act to stop these implements getting into the wrong hands.

“To ensure police and partner resources are targeted in the communities where they are needed most, we are asking the public to be aware and report any knife sightings to us reduce the circulation of weapons in our communities.”

Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity helping to tackle knife crime, told Yahoo News UK: “The work being done by the GMP is great.

“It is making proactive efforts and taking knives off the street.

“If we are going to tackle knife crime we need more education and early intervention programmes, take a stronger stance and teach young people the risks of carrying them.

“Knife crime has been increasing in England and Wales for the last five years, but not in Scotland.

“This is because they already have successful early prevention programmes and strong enforcement, so we should emulate them.”

The trust was started in 2008, when Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in Islington, London, aged only 16.

If you have concerns about someone you know or care about carrying or hiding a knife, or if you are aware that knives are being concealed in your community call the Police on 101 or talk to the police via LiveChat on the GMP website.

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