YOUNG people will be given hoodies saying “Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife” in exchange for handing over a weapon.

The police campaign follows a successful gun amnesty, held in July which saw 11 firearms handed in to police along with several rounds of ammunition.

The British Ironwork Centre’s ‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife’ campaign launched on Friday.

Staff from the centre will visit UK cities where they will encourage young people who carry knives to hand the weapons in exchange for a hoody.

Surrendered knives will be used to create a spectacular Angel statue in memory of those whose lives have been lost to knife crime.

A knife bank is expected to be placed in Manchester later this year.

Det Insp Debbie Dooley, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “We are proud to support this initiative, which will help to raise awareness about the damage and destruction that knives can cause.

“In the wrong hands, a knife is a deadly weapon. The knife bank will enable members of the public to surrender knives safely and anonymously and in turn remove these weapons from our streets.

“We are committed to protecting our communities from violent crime and we hope to have their support when we launch the amnesty later this year.”

Clive Knowles, chairman of British Ironwork Centre, added: “We believe there is much that can be achieved through communities, police forces and other organisations uniting their efforts in the fight against knife crime.”

Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester’s police and crime commissioner, said: “Everyone committed to public safety in Greater Manchester supports the principle of taking weapons, knives and guns out of the hands of criminals. Greater Manchester Police has just successfully conducted a gun amnesty and experience shows having these bins is a way that allows weapons to be taken out of circulation.”

The first knife bank has opened in Birmingham.