PLAYING fields in Worcester were swept for knives yesterday as part of a national week of police action. 

This week West Mercia Police is taking part in the national anti-knife crime intensification week, Operation Sceptre.

As part of the operation, the Gorse Hill and Rainbow Hill safer neighbourhood policing team conducted sweeps of the King George V Playing Fields, in Brickfields.

Across West Mercia, officers will be undertaking a range of activity to target offenders including carrying out test purchases at retailers who sell knives, utilising weapon arches at key locations and making educational visits to raise awareness of the consequences of carrying a knife and highlight the diversionary pathways away from knife crime.

In the city centre, officers were joined by partners at Worcestershire Trading Standards visiting, retailers to check items such as kitchen knives, hunting knives, pen knives and multi-tools were being correctly stored, and security tagged.

Operation Sceptre runs from Monday, November 13 until Sunday, November 19.