Magnet fishers uncover more than 30 weapons from under water in town amid crackdown on knife crime

A huge haul of weapons has been pulled from water in a Greater Manchester town amid a major crackdown on knife crime. Magnet fishers turned out in force to uncover knives from waterways in Radcliffe this week.

It comes as police forces across the country have been taking part in Operation Sceptre, a week-long campaign which highlights the risks of carrying a knife and targets offenders.

While knife sweeps have been taking place across Greater Manchester, police in Bury asked Sophie Doyle of Magnetic Pull to get involved with a search for weapons dumped under water. She assembled a team of hobbyists to help out, who were able to uncover more than 30 weapons in total from locations in Radcliffe.

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Sophie told the Manchester Evening News : "After magnet fishing in Radcliffe many times before, I knew there were many more weapons to be found and I was more than happy to assist police with Operation Sceptre. I invited some fellow magnet fishers and together we all worked as a team to retrieve as much criminal evidence as possible."

Sophie assembled magnet fishers from Magnetic Pull, OddJob Magnet Fishing, Ellesmere Port Magnet Fishing and Magnet Mad Mum and Dad for the Radcliffe search. They checked the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal and Red Bank Lodges for weapons.

In total, they discovered 29 knives hidden under water, as well as a knuckleduster and an improvised throwing star. The team's efforts have since been praised by police in Bury, who were handed the haul of weapons.

A spokesperson for GMP Bury said: "A big thank you to our local magnet fishing team, who have been magnet fishing in the