ENGLISH NEWS: Gang epidemic laid bare as police seize 180 deadly weapons in 4 days

AS knife crime hits a record high in England this year, a haul of deadly blades and swords have been seized by police during a four-day crackdown on violent crime.

Shockingly, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit took 180 weapons off the streets from December 2 to 5. 

The Lancashire and Greater Manchester Police forces seized the highest number of weapons. In Cheshire, 7 knives, 3 swords, 3 knuckledusters, 3 batons and a throwing star – a Japanese weapon with a circular dagger, were taken off the streets. In Merseyside, 19 knuckledusters, 6 batons, 5 swords and 3 knives were seized.

Speaking about the large haul as part of an operation to combat crime in the northwest, Detective Superintendent Ryan Davies from the North West ROCU said: “Thanks to this intelligence-led, coordinated operation a significant number of knives and weapons have been seized and won’t make it to the streets of our region, where they can cause serious harm.”

Knife crime in England and Wales has reached an unprecedented high this year, sparking calls for authorities to “break the spiral of violence”. A study made public earlier this year revealed police recorded more than 44,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the 12 months to June – an increase of 7% from the previous year.

As Euro Weekly News understands, according to the Office for National Statistics, almost half were stabbings, 43% were robberies and the remaining percentage is attributed to offences such as rape and sexual assault. They also indicated that the number of crimes involving knives was the highest recorded since 2010-11, with 235 knife murders in the year and 412 attempted murders.