ZOMBIE knives, bayonets and an axe were among the 172 blades handed in to police during a week-long amnesty. 

Special bins were placed at police stations across the county in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, HQ South Kidlington, Oxford and Witney in the week commencing February 12.

Thames Valley Police today revealed the results of the exercise saying they had collected everything from Stanley knives and screwdrivers to the more menacing zombie knives. 

Oxford Mail:

Modelled on weapons seen in horror films, these blades are often serrated and can be two foot long.

They were banned in the UK in July last year after complaints they glamourised violence. 

The amnesty comes as knife crime in the Thames Valley rose 28 per cent between June 2016 and 2017 compared to the same period the year before. 

As part of Operation Sceptre, police also placed 'knife arches' to detect weapons at the entrance to clubs.

And underage cadets attempted to purchase knives from retailers with three in ten of those tested selling a knife to an under 18.

These retailers are now being investigated by Trading Standards.

Chief Inspector Helen Roberts, the officer responsible for coordinating Operation Sceptre at Thames Valley Police, said: “Knife crime ruins lives. Carrying a knife can result in you committing a serious crime and having to live with the consequences – also you are four times more likely to be a victim of knife crime if you carry a knife.

"You might feel a sense of being invincible when you carry a knife, but that isn’t the case, you are likely to make risky decisions and as a result put yourself in dangerous situations."