Police urge people to hand knives in 'directly' to them ahead of Wellingborough march against knife crime

Police are urging people to hand knives in directly to the police ahead of a march against knife crime that is taking place in Wellingborough today.

Facebook group, 'Off the Streets - NN8 community against knife crime' have garnered nearly 3,000 members after being launched in response to the death of a teenage boy, Dylan Holliday, who was fatally stabbed in a town park.Members of the group are taking to the streets of Wellingborough today (August 21) to march against knife crime. The protest march will commence at 2pm and will set off from Shelley Road courts on the Queensway estate heading to Kingsway, then onward to the Hemmingwell estate via the town centre, and back to Queensway. The march is planned to conclude at 5pm.

Response and Local Policing Chief Inspector for the Northamptonshire North area, Gan Thayanithy, said: "The event organisers have worked really positively with our officers and local authority staff with regard to their plans, and we will continue to work with them throughout the event to ensure public safety and minimise disruption.

"We have been made aware that a number of knives have been handed in to the organisers of the event who have subsequently handed them into the police.

"It's really encouraging to see members of the community are doing all they can to get knives off our streets, however, we would urge people to dispose such items safely and securely by handing them directly to the police.

"You can do this by wrapping them up safely and taking them to your local police station. Alternatively, you can contact us on 101 or online to arrange for them to be collected.

"We welcome this opportunity for longer term work with local residents in taking knives off the streets. We will all be safer and much more successful by working together."

Neighbourhood police will be attending the protest to provide a "reassuring presence" to those involved in the march and the wider community and to be on hand to anyone who may attempt to cause any disruption.

Police have warned that there is likely to be some disruption to traffic along the planned protest march route and ask residents in the area to be patient and to find alternative routes wherever possible.