Knife amnesty sees more than 40 blades taken off Wellingborough streets

A permanent knife amnesty bin placed on a Wellingborough estate, where a teenager was tragically stabbed to death, has had more than 40 weapons safely disposed into it in the first two months.

When Wellingborough Neighbourhood Policing Team and anti-knife crime community group Off The Streets NN emptied the secure bin for the first time, they found a variety of different knives.

The container was one of seven amnesty bins installed in various locations across Wellingborough and the East Northamptonshire area at the end of February, as part of a campaign to reduce knife crime in the county.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Chris Stevens said: “Following the introduction of the amnesty bins we’ve received really positive feedback from the community, particularly from residents on the Queensway estate.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible to get knives off our streets and out of the hands of people who may misuse them, and the number of items deposited in this amnesty bin alone shows just how much of an asset they are.

“It’s important to remember that most of us do not carry knives and will probably never be affected by knife crime – it is not a normal thing to do, which is why it’s important to dispel the myths around carrying a knife.

“However, tackling knife crime continues to be a matter of priority for the force and, alongside the bleed kits and educational messages already out there, we’re committed to preventing people carrying knives.

“These bins are already proving a real asset to the community, providing a much safer and secure way of disposing knives instead of them just being discarded into normal bins.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported this scheme and deposited an item into the amnesty bin. Every knife taken off our streets is another step closer to making our communities safer.”

The amnesty bins were installed in partnership with the neighbourhood policing team, Off The Streets NN, North Northamptonshire Council and Wellingborough housing association Greatwell Homes.

Rav Jones and Jane Capps, representatives of Off The Streets NN, said: “It’s humbling to see the community using the knife amnesty bins, which we’ve worked with the police, Greatwell Homes and North Northamptonshire Council to secure.

“These bins are a positive and safe way of disposing of your unwanted or unused knives. We encourage everyone within the community to continue to use them and keep our community safe.”

Anyone who would like to hand in a knife safely and without repercussions can find the permanent knife amnesty bins at Angel Lane, Queensway Medical Centre and Hemmingwell Skills Hub in Wellingborough, Spencer Park in Rushden, High Street in Irthlingborough and Saffron Recreational Ground in Higham Ferrers.

If you have any information or concerns about knife crime in your community, you can report non-emergency crime to 101, visit www.northants.police.uk/RO or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always call 999.