Some of the knives collected in Northern Ireland

Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland said that over the three-week period there was a 30% drop in incidents of knife crime.

"This is an extremely positive response by the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

"More importantly, it means that a number of potential lethal weapons are off the streets of Northern Ireland."

Mr McCausland said that during the amnesty there were 52 knife incidents across Northern Ireland, compared with 74 incidents for the same period in 2005.

Approximately 1,200 knife-related crimes occur in the province every year.

KNIVES HANDED IN Antrim: 26 Ards: 26 Armagh: 22 Ballymena: 29 Ballymoney: 23 Banbridge: 63 Belfast: 102 Carrickfergus: 31 Castlereagh: 35 Coleraine: 42 Cookstown: 17 Craigavon: 40 Derry City: 33 Down: 4 Dungannon/South Tyrone: 38 Fermanagh: 28 Larne: 26 Limavady: 22 Lisburn: 62 Magherafelt: 11 Moyle: 8 Newry and Mourne: 8 Newtownabbey: 46 North Down: 48 Omagh: 33 Strabane: 7 Harbour Police: 5 Ministry of Defence Sites: 51

Criminal Justice Minister David Hanson said the pressure would be kept on those who carried knives or used them to commit crimes.

"This is just the beginning," he said.

The amnesty followed the revelation that knife crime had doubled in nearly a decade.

Blades were allowed to be dumped at designated bins in civic amenity sites during the amnesty.

Mr Hanson said that they would continue with an advertising campaign and education package in schools as well as making it more difficult to obtain knives.

Age limit

The minimum age limit to buy a knife will rise to 18.

"The government will continue to look at other strategies, policies and initiatives to tackle knife crime in Northern Ireland over the next few months," he said.

A wide variety of knives was handed in, including some daggers, a Victorian bayonet, a samurai sword and throwing knives.

Some of the knives will become museum pieces and it is hoped the rest will eventually be melted down to make a piece of art.

The largest number of knives was handed into Belfast City Council rubbish sites, with 102 being disposed of.

Banbridge Council received 63 knives and Lisburn 62.

The lowest number of knives handed into the council was in Down, just four.

The chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Sir Desmond Rea, said: "There are 886 fewer knives on our streets than there were a month ago.

"That is 886 fewer dangerous weapons and 886 fewer chances of someone being injured, or even killed, by a knife."

Sir Desmond said young people must be educated about the dangers of carrying knives.