ASSAULTS with knives and other sharp objects led to more than 100 hospital admissions involving Cumbria residents in less than a decade, figures show.

Between April 2012 and March this year, there were around 130 admissions of patients from the Cumbria policing area following an assault with a sharp object, according to data from NHS Digital.

Of those, around 17 percent involved people aged under 25.

Detective Chief Inspector Dean Holden, violent crime lead for Cumbria Constabulary’s said: "Tackling knife crime and reducing violence is a top priority for policing.

"Cumbria remains one of the safest places to live. There has been number of high-profile knife-related incidents in recent years, and we have all seen the impact this has on people’s lives and wider communities.

"We work closely throughout the year with partner agencies across the county to tackle knife crime in Cumbria. We do this by enforcing the law and we also work to tackle the problem through education."

Cumbria Police are currently running a two-week long knife amnesty which will end on Sunday, November 21, providing people a chance to hand in their weapons.

People are encouraged to safely dispose of their weapons when they are able to so.

Every knife that is handed in is one less on the streets that could harm someone.

Op Divan has also been launched this month to discourage youths from using knives. The police say that they don't want to see a youth wrongly criminalised as they don't know the consequences of carrying a knife.

Elizabeth Mallinson, a Carlisle Councillor, said: "We have seen an increase in knife crime across the county and of course we'll all remember the tragic death of Ryan Kirkpatrick this year.

"It's a worrying situation so what we've gone and done is create a 'knife angel' with the help of Cumbria Police, Carlisle City Council and the County Council.

"This will be a large statue that will come on display before Christmas made up of knives to make people more aware.

"It will go around towns that will accept it and one of the conditions of it coming is that we will pass on the message to our children."