Six hunting knives, a sword, three machetes and 14 other knives were handed in to police this month during the first half of a countywide knife amnesty.

The potential weapons are among 587 bladed items to be handed in since knife deposit bins were placed around Hertfordshire at the start of October.

They will be all be shredded by police to take them out of circulation and prevent knife related crimes.

In addition to the blades handed over in Watford, two hunting knives, a machete, a pen knife and nine other knives were handed in in Rickmansworth, two knives, including one hunting knife, were deposited in Bushey, and two knives were deposited in Oxhey.

According to Hertfordshire Constabulary, the amount of knife-related crimes in the county fell by 5.4 per cent last year. Regardless, local police decided to install the bins and launch the campaign to reduce this number even further and “show that Hertfordshire is a hostile environment for those who carry or are tempted to carry a knife illegally”.

Hertfordshire’s Detective Superintendent Mark Drew, said: “This is an excellent example of the constabulary working with the residents of Hertfordshire to get rid of any knives and bladed items before they could be used in a crime, and demonstrates that together we are keeping knife crime out of the county.

“We are only half-way through the campaign, so I’d urge those tempted to carry a knife to get rid of the temptation and make use of the bins. That way they will be shredded and can never reach Hertfordshire’s streets.”

The bins have been placed at all the area’s police stations.