POLICE collected 47 knives - including a potato peeler - during a week-long amnesty.

People across the Thames Valley surrendered Stanley, bread, kitchen and ornamental knives – as well as other items including a can opener – during the week-long campaign, which ran in 16 police stations from July 17.

Figures show that knife crime has increased by 32 per cent between April 1, 2016, and March 31 this year. Within the same period, possession offences rose by 27 per cent.

Police have not yet revealed the number of knives handed in across Oxfordshire.