Murdered James Brindley's parents unveil Walsall's first knife surrender bin

James Brindley, 26, was stabbed in the heart 400 metres from his parents' home in Aldridge, Walsall, in June 2017.

His killer, 17-year-old Ammar Kahrod, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the random attack.

Now his parents, Mark and Beverley Brindley, have joined the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson to unveil the bin, which is at Tesco on Littleton Street West.

Mr and Mrs Brindley have launched the James Brindley Full Circle Programme which will work alongside The James Brindley Foundation and will deliver a 12-week initiative, with one on one counselling for troubled teens.

Mr Brindley said launching the foundation has given their family "a reason to get up in the morning".

He said: "It has helped us without a shadow of a doubt.

"We launched the foundation which is the fundraising charity last November and it's given us a real focus and a reason to get up in the morning. It does ease the pain but it's still always there. And with it we're constantly reminded of what happened to James as we can speak about what happened.

"But we're trying to fight back in a positive way which we believe will help society as a whole.

"Any knife that is off the street is an opportunity to save a life.

"There needs to be a discussion around the criminal justice system which appears to us to be failing families who are in the same position as us. I would make reference to joint enterprise, the right to silence and the lack of right to appeal against a jury's decision."

Mrs Brindley added: "If it prevents one family from going through what we've gone through and are going through that would be good."

The weapon surrender bin is a secure container, which is designed for people to dispose of knives.

The other 12 bins have so far been placed in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Dudley, Coventry and Sandwell.

It comes after it was revealed knife crimes have soared by almost 1,000 in the West Midlands during the last two years.

Figures have shown the region is in the grip of a knife epidemic, with offences surging past the 4,000 mark during 2018.

It means there have been 80 offences involving knives every week in the West Midlands. The total increased from 3,332 in 2016.

Mr Jamieson said there is a "big problem here" with young people using knives when he spoke at the unveiling.

He said: "The people of Walsall have been telling us for some time that they would like a weapon surrender bin. I’m delighted to announce that we’ve been able to make this happen.

“The bins are providing people with a safe way to dispose of knives. Every knife posted into a surrender bin is potentially a life saved.”

Last year a knife arch was used for the first time at Walsall Town Hall after 19-year-old Reagan Asbury was stabbed during a night of boxing in October 2017 and later died.

Walsall's mayor Marco Longhi attended the first knife surrender bin unveiling and said the bin has the potential of saving "untold harm".

He said: "This has the potential to save untold harm as well as lives in the Walsall community and beyond.

"This is about making sure the community is safer it isn't about pointing the finger."