A MAN who told police officers he always carries a knife for his own protection has been put behind bars after being caught with a blade in Harwich.

Sol Clarke, 23, was spotted throwing away a knife by eagle-eyed police officers from Essex Police’s North Disruptor team on October 16 last year.

He came to their attention after he was seen acting suspiciously with a woman in Station Road, near Dovercourt rail station.

After speaking to the pair, officers found the knife in a spot of grass nearby and subsequently arrested Clarke, of Towler Street, Peterborough.

On Monday, he appeared before Colchester Magistrates' Court and admitted possession of a knife in a public place before being sentenced to 16 weeks in jail.

The court was told how Clarke had tried to explain to officers his reasoning for having the blade, saying he always carried one for protection purposes.

PC Ryan Gilroy, of Essex Police’s North Disruptor team, said: “It is dangerous to carry a knife, whatever the reason.

“You may be tempted to use it and it could be used against you.

“The introduction of a knife into any scenario causes that situation to escalate quickly, despite the initial intentions of the person who produces it.

“Carrying a knife in a public place is an offence so I would urge anyone who does this to think carefully about possible consequences and drop it into one of our knife bins.”

Clarke’s conviction came at the beginning of a week-long knife amnesty allowing anyone who wants to dispose of a knife to do so safely and without prosecution.

Operation Sceptre, which runs until next Monday, will also see officers carry out weapons sweeps and searches using knife arches around the county.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Research shows carrying a knife doesn’t offer protection, in fact it increases the likelihood that an individual might be stabbed.

“Every time someone leaves a knife in a knife bin, they are making a positive decision to live knife-free, keeping themselves and those around them safe.”

To find out more information about Operation Sceptre or to find a knife bin in your area visit essex.police.uk.