Every knife stencil tells a heart-breaking story
Images of knives which spell out the devastation caused by stabbings have been painted on Rutherglen Main Street.
But Police Scotland says South Lanarkshire is one of the safest places to live in Scotland.
Part of the No Knives, Better Lives campaign, the stencils see the words ‘devastated mum’and‘broken dad’ painted on the ground in the shape of knives.
Reminding people of the harm caused by knife crime, the aim is to make people “think twice”about carrying a weapon.
Inspector Andrew Thompson of Lanarkshire Police Division said:“South Lanarkshire is an incredibly safe place to live. Your chances of being the victim of serious violence in South Lanarkshire are [based on population] lower than the vast majority of local authority areas in Scotland, but there’s still more work to be done.
“The areas chosen for stencils are those that have a slightly higher than average rate of knife crime within South Lanarkshire and we hope that this tactic will help people think about the consequences of carrying a knife. The stencil locations are not aimed at one particular age group, but are designed to provoke a discussion and change the attitudes of those who carry, or consider carrying, knives.”
Inspector Thompson said the stencils had been painted on Rutherglen Main Street and some streets surrounding the main thoroughfare, as well as streets in neighbouring Hamilton, Wishaw and Airdrie.
They have been introduced as part of a wider campaign to educate the public and coincides with work in schools and youth groups.
In 2015, No Knives, Better Lives campaigners delivered educational workshops to more than 9,000 people across North and South Lanarkshire.