Merseyside Police is one of four forces taking part in a Serious Violence Reduction Order (SVRO) pilot scheme.

SVROs were introduced in April 2023 in four force areas - Merseyside, Thames Valley, West Midlands and Sussex - for two years.

In the last two years, Merseyside Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for Merseyside and Cheshire has issued 268 SVROs, with 118 people given custodial sentences for knife crime offences.

He said knife crime had gone down by 6.5% in Merseyside over the past year, and violent crime had been reduced by more than 32% in areas identified as hotspots for antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

"By taking part in this pilot, we've been able to closely monitor those who have been convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon," he said.

"The majority of those who were handed an order were found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon or committing violence against another person, such as a serious assault."