Samurai swords, knuckle-dusters, and machetes were handed in at Enfield police stations during a two-week capital-wide knife amnesty.

A total of 61 weapons were surrendered safely in bins at police stations across the borough during the two-week long Operation Blunt.

Police officers, who handed out more than 3,000 leaflets to schools highlighting the danger of carrying knives, welcomed the results.

The number of items handed in was boosted by a contribution from a New Southgate youth group which handed in 22 weapons at Southgate police station on the last day of the amnesty on Thursday.

Volunteer youth worker Said Bendahane set up the youth group to create a sense of community spirit following a rise in anti-social behaviour in the area.

He said: "Most of these kids are walking around with these weapons for self-defence, but we all know how dangerous these knives can be.

"There are thousands of knives on the street and if there was more publicity to convince people to hand them over it could produce better results."

Sgt Andy Bovingdon, of Southgate's Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "I think it's a fantastic initiative on the part of the youth group because it's very important these knives are taken out of circulation.

"There is a lot of peer pressure to a carry a weapon either as part of a gang or for self defence but it is against the law. There have been countless times when a young person has stuck a knife in somebody and they have turned round to me and said But I never meant to use it.'"

And he advised young people to surrender their existing weapons even though the knife amnesty is over.

He said: "There are still knives out there we are not aware of and I would reccomend young people to hand them to their parents, or their teachers or to attend their local police station."

The number of crimes involving knives has fallen by 13.9 per cent in the last year.