CAN you spot the knives hidden in these photos?

It may seem unusual but this is the question being posed by police, who have urged the public to ‘open your eyes to knives’ after a number of high-profile incidents.

Officers are warning that many criminals hide knives in public places rather than carry them around in an effort to reduce the risk of being caught.

Bury Times:

Possession of a knife can lead to a prison sentence as high as 18 months so some groups hide the weapons in plain sight to allow for easy access later on.

GMP's new campaign ‘Open Your Eyes to Knives’ launched this week to raise awareness of the dangers of knives and bladed weapon shidden in our communities.

Visitors to GMP’s pages on Facebook and Twitter will be asked to spot the knife hidden in a number of images released during the week across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, encouraging conversation around what is often a difficult subject to address.

Supporting Operation Sceptre, a national week of action running from March 11 – 17, the campaign will run alongside GMP’s operations over the coming weeks and months to tackle knife crime, incorporating a range of policing tactics including hotspot targeting and stop and search methods.

Bury Times:

Greater Manchester Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “It’s a sad fact that people are not only carrying knives, but are now also hiding weapons in and around public places and that can be very worrying for members of the public.

“The more knives that are on the streets only leads to one outcome – more people getting hurt - and we are determined to act to stop these implements getting into the wrong hands.

Bury Times:

“To ensure police and partner resources are targeted in the communities where they are needed most, we are asking the public to be aware and report any knife sightings to us reduce the circulation of weapons in our communities.”

Bury Times:

If you have concerns about someone you know or care about carrying or hiding a knife, or if you are aware that knives are being concealed in your community call the police on 101 or contact an officer via Live Chat on the GMP website.