Although knife crime in the region is not as significant a problem when compared to other parts of the UK, Chief Constable Mike Craik said the campaign would acknowledge public concerns and address them.

It will focus on enforcement activity for all knife-related offences and public consultation to reassure local people and encourage them to support the campaign with information about suspects.

A knife amnesty will be introduced so people can dispose of bladed weapons legally.

And all known persistent offenders will receive a personal visit by officers to warn them if they don't stop carrying knives they will be arrested.

Police will then follow this with tough action to take knives off the streets.

"I must stress that Northumbria is a safe place to live, work and visit, said Mr Craik.

"We don't have the same problems with gang-related knife violence as some other parts of the country.

"Our latest figures show that serious knife crime has gone down this year compared to 2007.

"It's also a fact that random, so-called stranger attacks, involving knives, are unusual – in the majority of incidents the victim and the offender know each other.

"But I know that people are concerned about knife crime and our campaign will seek to respond to those concerns and reduce knife crime even further.

"There is simply no excuse to carry a knife in public.

"People who carry knives are just as much at risk of harming themselves as well as others, and they are also at risk of being arrested, charged to court, and possibly sent to prison.

"We're working with our partners on this.

"We're also going into schools, giving key messages to young people and raising awareness about the dangers of carrying knives.

"We're also saying to the public – knife crime is not a significant problem in Northumbria – help us the keep it that way."

A number of initiatives will take place during the campaign, including:

• Officers will be out on the streets targeting offenders in known problem hotspots


• Anyone found carrying a knife, without good reason, will be charged and risks up to four years in prison


• We will be working with our partners, including the courts, to combat knife crime


• Officers will also be talking to retailers, reminding them of their responsibilities around the sale of knives


• The chief constable will maintain his call for a total ban on carrying all pointed weapons, including knives, in public places with mandatory prison sentences for offenders


• We will be urging people to come forward with information about possible offenders

The campaign supports the continuing robust approach to knife crime in Northumbria.

For more than a year it has been force policy that anyone found carrying a knife will be charged, not cautioned, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Police say its officers will always seek to charge them with the more serious offence of 'possession of an offensive weapon' which carries strict penalties.

Officers already routinely stop and search people suspected of carrying knives.

During the campaign police will seek additional powers to enhance this approach by applying for designated 'Section 60 orders' for specific areas identified by intelligence as potential 'hot spot' areas.

Once the order is in place for a particular area – and it will operate for a limited time only – officers will be able to stop and search anyone, regardless of whether they are suspected of carrying a knife.

Mr Craik added: "Our message to offenders is very clear – we have you in our sights, you will not get away with this, use the knife amnesty bins to dispose of your weapons.

"And our message to the law-abiding majority is also clear – we know you're worried, but Northumbria is a safe place in which to live, work and visit and with your help we aim to keep it that way."