Celebrity twist to latest neighbourhood knife amnesty as TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson's blades handed in outside Northampton Tesco

A Northampton knife amnesty got a celebrity twist as six specialist cooking tools turned up among 40 potentially deadly weapons binned by the public.

Neighbourhood police teams hold regular sessions across the county giving people the chance to surrender knives and other sharp instruments for destruction rather than run the risk of them falling into the wrong hands.

Thursday's (March 10) amnesty outside Tesco's Mereway store took 40 such items off the street — including a set of kitchen knives sold by TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson, star of Ready, Steady Cook and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Amnesties are held as part of a Northamptonshire Police Operation Sceptre campaign against knife crime, led by Superintendent Adam Ward.

He said: “The harm caused to families and communities through the tragic loss of life relating to knife crime is devastating which is why it is a matter of priority to us.

“Amnesty events provide members of the public with an opportunity to dispose of unwanted knives or any other sharp items safely and securely, and therefore stops them from falling into the wrong hands.

“We’re committed to removing as many of these dangerous items from our streets as possible and will continue to hold amnesty events throughout the campaign in our communities where knife crime is an issue.

“It’s important to remember that most of us do not carry knives and will probably never be affected by knife crime – it is not a normal thing to do, which is why it’s important to dispel the myths around carrying a knife.

“We’re committed to both preventing people carrying knives in the first place and taking robust action against the small minority of offenders who commit offences involving knives.”