THIRTY ONE people have been arrested in a single week as part of a clamp down on crime in Trafford.

The offenders were arrested for a variety of offences including knife crime, drugs and robbery after Greater Manchester Police launched proactive policing operations which ran between January 20 and 27.

Seven of these were arrested in relation to knife crime as part of Operation Sycamore ­— which aims to tackle serious violent crime in the borough.

Sergeant Nick Young, of GMP’s Trafford division, said: “We are really pleased with how the week went.

"We all have a part to play when it comes to tackling knife crime, and during the week of action, we engaged with the Trafford community encouraging them to help us tackle the issue."

Beyond getting criminals off the street, Operation Sycamore also aims to increase understanding of the causes of knife crime, particularly raising awareness among young people.

Through the week officers visited hundreds of pupils in Trafford schools to help educate youngsters on recognising the signs of knife crime and encourage them to think about its consequences.

At a high school in Sale, officers reassured pupils as they arrived for their day, and the children were given presentations, workshops and and a drama production highlighting child criminal exploitation and the dangers of knife crime.

Knife metal detector arches were also deployed at entrances and exits to Trafford Metrolink stations by officers over four days.

Commuters were asked to walk through the arches to help police identify those carrying weapons.

Sgt Young said: “The prevention activities, particularly those designed to educate and divert potential offenders, were well received by the public which was great to see."

Transport for Greater Manchester’s TravelSafe Partnership manager, Kate Green, added: “Fortunately, there are very few incidents involving weapons on Metrolink, but that doesn’t mean we are complacent.

“Operations like this not only deter crime and antisocial behaviour, they demonstrate the work of the TravelSafe Partnership and our proactive approach to keeping our network and customers safe.”

Another focus of the week saw police and Trafford Council visit shops to "knowledge check" staff about the sale of knives.

Officers said that Trafford store staff engaged with police and displayed "sound knowledge of legal requirements" and showed shops had implemented "appropriate systems and training", including the Challenge 21 system.

Sgt Young said: “It wasn’t just the public that were receptive to the week of action; officers were keen to take part in the Neighbourhood ‘Away Day’ hosted by Trafford, where they were given the opportunity to challenge and discuss new ways of working with regards to knife crime and partnership work.

“The work carried out this week provides us with a great platform to continue to develop our collaborative work on Operation Sycamore.”