Gardai are issuing a warning after a weapons cache was found hidden in Ballymun Park in Dublin

Gardaí released an image of a number of devices discovered hidden in a park in Ballymun.

The photo shows what appears to be a kitchen knife, a steel bicycle seat post, a screwdriver and a Stanley blade found in the weeds in the park.

“Gardai in Ballymun were on patrol yesterday lunchtime when they discovered these weapons hidden in park bushes,” police said on X.

“They have been seized and our investigation is ongoing.

“It is a criminal offense to be found in possession of a knife in a public place.”

Earlier this year it was revealed Gardai had recovered more than 13,000 knives in the past seven years.

Figures provided to Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell showed seizures increased by 78 per cent during the period.

Since 2,146 knives were confiscated by the police in 2022 alone, that equated to almost six per day.

This year, approximately 905 knives have been seized in the Dublin region, up from 812 in 2021. In 2022, a total of 128 knives were seized in Cork city, while there were 164 in Louth and 105 in Galway.

Mr Farrell said gardaí seized 13,138 knives between 2016-2022.

“This is a shocking figure and we must continue to support gardaí in their efforts to tackle these crimes,” he said in April.

“The volume of knives confiscated by Gardaí each year is steadily increasing. In 2016, 1,203 knives were confiscated and that number rose to 2,146 last year, a staggering 78 percent increase over the seven-year period.

“Any stabbing can clearly cause irreparable harm and has tragic consequences for families and individuals across the country.”

Any person found in possession of a knife can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, one of the harshest punishments in Europe.

There is no set minimum age at which a person can own a knife. However, it is a criminal offense to have a knife in a public place, such as to work, without a good reason.

Any person found in possession of a knife can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison.