THE number of people caught with knives in Greater Manchester fell last year, bucking a national trend that saw figures reach their highest level in five years.

Figures released by the Ministry of Justice show that 787 people were cautioned or sentenced for a knife possession offence in the GMP area in the year ending March.

This is down from 803 offences in the year ending March, 2016 and is almost half the level of the year ending March, 2009, when 1,453 offences were recorded.

Greater Manchester’s figures buck a national trend, with 19,683 offences recorded nationally during the last 12 months recorded, up from 17,973 in the year ending March 2016.

The year ending March, 2013 saw 20,162 knife possession offences recorded in England and Wales, before falling dramatically the following year to 16,531.

Greater Manchester Police said that the figures show that work being done in the region to tackle knife crime is working.

Inspector Debbie Dooley, from the Xcalibre Task Force Team, said: “Greater Manchester Police welcomes the recent figures released by the Ministry of Justice, which show that the total number of annually recorded knife offences ending in March, across Greater Manchester, has dropped from the previous year.

“This is due to the ongoing hard work carried out by GMP, alongside a number of partners including the North West Ambulance Service and Local Authorities.

“Police can and do stop those who they believe are in possession of a knife and combined with a number of initiatives, including the recent ‘Bin the Blade’ knife amnesty and ‘Knives Take Lives’ social media campaign, we are getting through to those people who previously thought it acceptable to carry a blade.

“There is still much to be done to reduce the number of people carrying and using knives, but I am confident that with our continuing hard work, partnerships with a number of local agencies and the support from communities across Greater Manchester, we can reduce this number even further.”

Most forces around England and Wales saw an increase in knife possession offences over the past 12 months, with GMP one of just 10 that saw a reduction.

Reflecting on the national figures, Rachel Almeida, head of policy at the charity Victim Support, said that the recent attack at London Bridge shows ‘in stark reality just how devastating knives can be.

She added that the national increase is a ‘cause for concern’ as ‘knife crime shatters the lives of so many, particularly young people’.

Last month Greater Manchester Police took part in a national campaign to highlight the dangers of carrying knives.

Police were warning people carrying a knife of the increased risk of potential injury, prison time and death.

Last November a knife amnesty was held across Greater Manchester where people could dispose of blades anonymously at police stations, including in Bolton, during the week-long event.