People who own “zombie-style” knives and machetes are being offered compensation by the government to hand the weapons over to police.

Under the month-long amnesty people will be able to claim the compensation for surrendering weapons that match set criteria.

From Monday August 26, people can attend Thorpe Wood Police Station, in Peterborough, or Parkside Police Station, in Cambridge, to dispose of the weapons, and the campaign runs until September 23.

People are advised to check the opening times of the police stations before they travel.

An appointment is only necessary if five items or more are to be surrendered at any one time. If this is the case, people should call 101 to arrange a time to visit a police station.

Zombie knives are illegal to own – even if kept in private property – following changes to the Offensive Weapons Act. A new law is set to ban similar “zombie-style” weapons.

Inspector Karl Secker said: “I’d urge people who own zombie-style knives or machetes to make use of this new government scheme.

“These weapons have no place in society and those who choose not to dispose of them run the risk of being prosecuted for owning illegal items.

“If you know someone who owns one of these weapons, please encourage them to surrender it. By doing so you will be helping to make the county safer and ensuring they won’t be prosecuted.”

Owners will need to fill in a form, which should be downloaded and printed in advance. A copy of this form can be found on the government’s website. Copies may be available at the police station, but this is subject to availability.

Forms will be processed, and the owners contacted by a government department regarding compensation. No payment will be issued at the police station and Cambridgeshire Constabulary will not be involved in the compensation process.

Those wishing to take part in the scheme should visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website for full details.