Officers from Wiltshire Police have been on the hunt for knives in Chippenham following concerns raised about parks.

The weapon sweep was carried out in The Donkey Fields, Barrons Mead and Monkton Park in Chippenham on Thursday, May 16, and formed a part of a nationwide campaign to tackle knife crime.

Operation Sceptre was launched on Monday, May 13 across the county and has so far included knife wound first aid sessions, educational talks with schools about the dangers of knife crime, an undercover test purchasing operation and weapon searches.

READ MORE: 20mph speed limits implemented on key Wiltshire roads

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: The three parks have been declared 'weapon-free' by police officers.The three parks have been declared 'weapon-free' by police officers. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

Donkey Fields and Monkton Park were a particular concern for crime as one resident pointed out: “There’s always drug deals and other stuff going on there.”

Thankfully, Wiltshire Police have confirmed that nothing of concern was located during the weapon sweep.

However, an undercover operation earlier in the week found that one-third of shops in the Chippenham area and half of shops in the Marlborough/Devizes area illegally sold knives to underage teenagers without asking for proof of age.

“We were extremely disappointed by the results of this operation," said PC Rideout from NPT Devizes.

"Knife crime is a growing concern and for the cadets to have this level of success was equally concerning and disappointing."

Further knife crime prevention activities are expected to follow in the coming weeks.