Rotherham surrender collects 14 knives and several random kitchen tools

Rotherham’s neighbourhood policing teams collected 14 knives, three food peelers, one can opener, one spiked stand and a pair of food mixer paddles at Fitzwilliam Square.

The ‘knife and tool drop off’ was organised by the PCSO team following requests from concerned residents.

South Yorkshire Police launched the scheme in 2017 in a 'zero tolerance' approach to weapons on the streets.

Under the scheme, anyone can hand a blade over to the police, exempt from prosecution.

However police said the knives will be forensically examined, which could lead to prosecutions.

At the 2017 launch Detective Superintendent Una Jennings said: “I would urge anyone who may be in possession of knives or bladed weapons, such as daggers, swords, axes, that may have been passed down as family heirlooms and are no longer wanted, to please make use of the surrender and hand them in, to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and being used in criminality.”