YOUNGSTERS in Barrow are being warned of the dangers of carrying a knife.

As an imposing sculpture made of guns and knives visits Barrow, police are reaching out to young people about the dangers of blades.

Officers are due to visit schools as part of an operation to raise awareness of knife crime and the potential consequences facing anyone who possesses a blade on the street.

The  Manchester Bee Monument anti-violence statue is also currently outside Barrow Town Hall and will be for the next fortnight following a joint initiative to bring it to the county involving Drop Zone Youth Projects, Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumbria Police.

Along side this, the Child Centred Policing Team has also liaised with the anti-knife crime group 'JJ Effect' to bring their presentations to south Cumbria.

The talks on the dangers of knives are due to be heard by hundreds of pupils during the police's Operation Sceptre week at Barrow Town Hall.

Operation Sceptre begins on Monday and is a national policing initiative aiming to make streets safer across the country.

People will be able to dispose of knives and other blades anonymously in amnesty bins at police stations across Cumbria.

Chief Inspector Sam Turner said: “Cumbria Police supports each national Sceptre operation as we seek to do all we can to ensure Cumbria remains one of the safest places in the country to live, visit or work in.

“We aim to keep it that way by speaking to young people at an early age and educating them about why it is indefensible and completely unnecessary to carry a knife as a potential weapon.

“We are also encouraging people to take advantage of the amnesty bins if they would like to get rid of any potentially dangerous knives.

“Handing a knife in is a quick process and your action will help make your community a safer place.”

Police are warning that someone in possession of a knife is not only increasing the risk of harm to themselves but could also face a fine of £5,000 and a four-year prison sentence.

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “I would urge anyone with any unused knives or other weapons to hand them into one of the police stations taking part in the amnesty.

"I would also encourage parents to speak to their children about the potential repercussions of carrying and using a knife on our streets.”