CAMPAIGNERS last night criticised a North-East department store's decision to give away knives - in the middle of a national amnesty designed to stem the growing knife culture.

Binns, in Darlington, ran an in-store offer where every shopper over 21 was entitled to a free kitchen knife with a 3in blade.

The promotion was launched a week after police forces across the country joined to back a national knife amnesty.

After being contacted by The Northern Echo, the store withdrew the offer yesterday afternoon, and replaced the free knives with juicers - but not before scores of customers were handed the free Forever Sharp blades.

Police said they had consulted Binns, part of the House of Fraser group, midway through its promotion after The Northern Echo brought the matter to their attention.

A police spokesman said the decision to end the knife giveaway was "appropriate".

"Following consultation with police and store managers, the company has decided to withdraw the knife promotion and issue juicers instead," he said.

"It is a responsible gesture of support for an important issue of public safety, and we appreciate it."

But last night, campaigners said they found the promotion distasteful, and condemned the store's timing.

In the past weeks, the nation has been shocked by a series of high-profile incidents involving knives, including the death of mental health worker Ashleigh Ewing, 22, in Newcastle, and the stabbing of 15-year-old schoolboy Kiyan Prince outside his north London school.

Barbara Dunne has campaigned against knives since her 31-year-old son, Robert, was stabbed with a Samurai sword yards from his Middlesbrough home, in January 2003.

She created the Mothers Against Knives group after his murder.

Last night, Mrs Dunne said she was shocked by the promotion, and said that giving away knives was irresponsible.

"It's a bad idea in itself, but particularly during the amnesty," she said. "I'd have hoped they would have had more sense than to give away things like that.

"There's no telling what can happen if they fall into the wrong hands, and there's no way of knowing who these knives are being given to.

"There's not much thought gone into this promotion, and it seems in very bad taste."

Andrew Buckingham, of Victim Support, said: "While most of these knives will find their way into people's kitchens, there is no regulation of who is given them.

"On the face of it, this promotion, in the middle of the knife amnesty, does seem to be rather bad timing."

A spokeswoman for House of Fraser said the knife promotion was operating only in the Darlington store and was a decision taken by a local manager.

Elsewhere, the crackdown on knives continued yesterday. Police raided a house in Stockton and recovered a Samurai-style sword, numerous martial arts blades and a machete. Baseball bats and a cricket ball packed with nails were also seized.

Detective Sergeant Mark Buckley, of Stockton CID, said: "These are the sort of weapons that need to be taken off the streets and are the reason the national knife amnesty is running. These are weapons that can easily kill or maim. They are not toys."