“KNIFE wands” will be used in St Helens bars and clubs in an initiative backed by the family of Danny Fox, it has been announced.

The metal-detecting wands, which is part of efforts to reduce knife crime in the borough, will be rolled out following a launch event on March 27.

It is a joint initiative between St Helens Council, Merseyside Police and the family of Danny Fox, who was stabbed to death in September 2016.

Cllr Lisa Preston, cabinet member for community safety, said: “We want the town centre to be a safe place. We want people to come into our town.

“If somebody is carrying a knife and they see the knife wands they will think, I’m not going to get in there, I’ll get knife wanded.

"It’s going to stop somebody.”

Speaking at a meeting of the safer communities overview and scrutiny panel on Monday, Cllr Preston said the “majority” of pubs and clubs in St Helens have signed up to the scheme.

“I’m very proud to know that our town is going to have these,” she said.

Local Policing Superintendent, Louise Harrison, is the force lead for knife crime, and said educating the youth is the focus of Merseyside Police.

The force is currently supporting the #No More Knives campaign, which was set up by the family of Danny Fox.

Sergeant Neil Birkett, from St Helens Community Police Team, said there is a culture of carrying knives within a “small minority” of young people.

Cllr Linda Mussell, ward member for Rainford, said more work is needed beyond this initiative.

The former nurse said watching someone bleed to death from a stab wound was the only thing that affected her during her career.

She said: “It’s a really serious, concerning development in society these days I just don’t understand it at all.

“I just wish sometimes these kids could take them to A&E when somebody is brought in with a stab wound because honest to God it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen, watching somebody bleed to death in A&E.

“It really is dreadful.”