50 arrests and 77 knives seized in South Yorkshire Police's Operation Sceptre week

Operation Sceptre is carried out twice a year by police, with the most recent one running from November 13 to 19.

Items seized included machetes, flick knives, axes and large kitchen knives, and the arrests included attempted murder and GBH.

There were 141 stop and searches, 46 weapons sweeps and seven warrants, including one in Swallownest which returned a haul of more than 20 dangerous weapons, including hunting knives and lock knives.

Det Supt David Cowley, the force’s lead for violent crime, said: “Our dedication to tackling knife crime never wavers all year round and Operation Sceptre gives us the opportunity to really show you just how dedicated we are as a force to getting knives off our streets.

“Raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime is pivotal and it's encouraging to know that we have delivered a vital lesson to 3,600 young people in South Yorkshire.

"It's important to note that in the run up to Operation Sceptre, we managed to recover 142 knives, in addition to the 77 seized during the week of action.

"This really emphasises the drive we have throughout the year to combat knife in our local communities. We want to keep you safe and we are constantly building intelligence on known knife carriers and taking action.”

Only one store out of 51 test purchases failed – selling a knife to someone under 18 – but SYP did not name the business.

The force visited 49 schools, delivering talks about the dangers and consequences of carrying knives to 3,600 children.