BOLTON is safe so there is no need to carry a knife, the town's police boss has said ahead of an amnesty.

Police are urging people to "Bin the Blade" during the month-long knife surrender, which starts on Sunday, February 1.

People can give up the weapons by depositing them in knife bins in police stations across Greater Manchester.

The force is supporting the British Ironwork Centre's Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife campaign.

Chf Supt Shaun Donnellan, borough commander for Bolton, said carrying knives were "bad news" in all circumstances

He said: "It is important because if you carry a knife there is always that temptation to use it.

"People say they carry it for protection but Bolton is a safe place so there is no need to carry a weapon.

"If two lads got in a fight, and both had knives, they could both be left dead and two families would be devastated."

It has been nine years since the last knife surrender in Greater Manchester, where the force asks members of the public to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted knives and bladed weapons to help prevent them falling into the wrong hands.

Many knives are held in innocence or ignorance of their illegality. The surrender gives holders the chance to dispose of the knife with no questions asked, by simply dropping it into one of the knife bins in their area.

The surrender will be at 8am on Sunday and run until midnight on Sunday, February 28.

Chf Supt Donnellan added: "Any knife could be used as a weapon but this specifically targets those which are designed to be used as weapons and often fall into the hands of young men.

"If you carry a knife, you risk being arrested and getting a criminal record.

"You also risk it falling into the hands of others and being used against you.

"Carrying a knife is bad news for all concerned, end of story."

Anyone who surrenders a knife during the amnesty will not face prosecution and can remain anonymous, but police stress that people caught carrying knives will not be shown leniency.

Bolton's police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd said: "Knife crime can end lives and devastate families.

"This amnesty is an opportunity to turn something negative and destructive into a positive, sending a strong message to communities that carrying a weapon is not an option if we are to build safer communities.

"I urge the public to support this month of action, make the right choice and bin the blade.”

A box is to be installed at Scholey Street police station over the coming days.