Residents in West Cumbria are being encouraged to hand in 'zombie knives' and machetes.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen and MP for Workington and Whitehaven Josh MacAlister are urging people to surrender these weapons.

An amnesty surrender scheme has been set up, allowing individuals to safely and legally hand over these weapons at police stations across the county.

This follows the government's announcement that owning certain types of 'zombie knives' and machetes will be illegal from September 24 as part of a crackdown on knife crime.

People wanting to surrender these weapons can do so at Workington Police Station, Hall Brow, CA14 4AP, between Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: "Knife crime has a detrimental effect on not only the victim but on families, friends, and communities as a whole.

"There is absolutely no need for anyone to be carrying zombie knives or machetes on our streets or own one at all.

"The fact is if you carry it, you are more likely to use it, have it used against you or encourage others to do so - and this is what we want to avoid.

"Therefore, I am encouraging anyone that has these types of knives to hand them in to a Police Station that is part of the amnesty.

“Cumbria is a safe place to live and we all want to protect the county’s safety so it is imperative that we work together to reduce knife crime in the county.

“Over the next month Workington Police Station will be accepting these weapons to get them off our streets, and in the months ahead there will be much more from the Labour Government on this - further bans, stronger rules, a clampdown on online sales and a proper strategy to stop young people being sucked into crime."