More than 50 arrests made as part of Project Guardian initiative

West Midlands Police have arrested more than 50 people as part of their bid to drive down knife crime and youth violence.

Officers carried out patrols across Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, and also on the western side of the force in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

A total of 51 arrests were made.

Inspector Colin Gallier, from the Guardian Taskforce, said: "Our teams are continuing to work incredibly hard to take knives and offensive weapons off the streets.

"Every knife seized is potentially a life saved. And these knives are the reason why we need to continue to carry out stop and searches.

"We work alongside other teams in local policing areas to take action and also warn against the risks of carrying a weapon. This remains ongoing as we continue our work to reduce incidents.”