'Bin knives and save lives' as new police operation begins

As part of Operation Sceptre, a national campaign aimed at reducing knife crime, a week of action to gather and destroy weapons begins next Monday.

West Midlands Police say the bins have been specifically designed to offer maximum safety and knives are surrendered anonymously.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has supported the installation of weapon surrender bins in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Birmingham.

“Over the last decade knife crime has been a growing problem for our region, as it has been across the country," said Mr Foster.

“It is therefore vital that we get as many knives off our streets as possible and so I’d urge people to use one of my weapon surrender bins to dispose of any knives or weapons that they feel they should not have.

“Each knife deposited into a weapon surrender bin will be held securely and then destroyed.

“This is part of our strategy to prevent violence, protect people and save lives.”

Police stressed it is illegal to carry a knife with any size blade if it is used or intended for use as a weapon.

It is also illegal to carry a knife in a public place, if the blade is longer than three inches; unless it is used for a trade.

Selling a knife to anyone under the age of 18 is also prohibited.

Surrender bins are located in Wolverhampton at St Chad and St Mark’s Church in Lime Street and New Testament Church of God in Wednesfield Road, Heath Town.

There is a bin at Morrisons on Black Country Route, Bilston; Tesco in Littleton Street, Walsall; in Dudley, at Tesco in Town Gate Retail Park on Birmingham Road and at The Cornbow Shopping Centre, Great Cornbow, Halesowen.

West Midlands Police officers have been conducting sweeps of parks and public spaces to remove hidden knives and they are also working with retailers and Trading Standards to prevent young people being sold knives in shops.