Parents are being offered free online knife crime education sessions.

The sessions, organised by the Thames Valley Violence Prevention Partnership, aim to raise awareness of the risks associated with knife crime and provide support to help children stay safe.

The sessions are delivered by the anti-knife crime charity, The Ben Kinsella Trust, and are part of a national week of action and knife amnesty.

They explore various risk factors that could lead to a young person carrying a weapon or becoming involved in violence.

These include child exploitation, county drug lines, the impact of online harm, and the fear and lack of guidance that can drive someone to pick up a knife.

The sessions also promote the 'Stay True to You' campaign, launched in May, which encourages young people to make their own choices, plan ahead, trust their instincts, and seek help from any trusted adult.

The sessions are free to attend and can be accessed online via a phone or computer.

Advance registration is now open via the Stay True to You website.

The sessions are scheduled for 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday, November 12, and Thursday, November 21.

Jules Bottazzi, director of strategy and performance at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "Knife crime is a huge concern for many parents and we have been working to help raise awareness of the issues so that together we can help keep young people safe.

"We’ve partnered with the leading national charity The Ben Kinsella Trust to deliver these sessions for some months, with hundreds of parents benefiting to date and many leaving fantastic feedback.

"We want to encourage as many parents as possible to take the time to join one of these sessions wherever they can."

The Thames Valley Violence Prevention Partnership was established in 2019 as one of a network of violence reduction units set up across the country to tackle the root causes of violence and to test and evaluate new interventions.

Its central programme team is part of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and it works with a broad partnership from right across the Thames Valley.

Thames Valley Police is also promoting the availability of knife amnesty bins across the force area as safe places to dispose of weapons, with no questions asked and no details taken.

For information on the locations of bins, visit the Thames Valley Police website.

The partnership encourages parents to take advantage of these resources to help keep their children safe from the dangers of knife crime.

For more information, visit the Thames Valley Violence Prevention Partnership website.