More knife amnesty bins despatched from Shropshire as deaths reach highest for 76 years
A Shropshire businessman heading a national campaign against knife crime says more more be done to stop the increase in young people killed by knives.
A recently published report by the Office for National Statistics said the number of people killed with a knife in England and Wales in 2021/22 was the highest on record for 76 years.
The jump in figures was driven by an 18 per cent rise in the number of male victims, from 184 to 218, in the 12 months to March 2022.
Knives or sharp objects were used in 75 per cent of teenage murders compared with just 40 per cent in adults.
Clive Knowles from Oswestry's British Ironwork Centre spearheaded the 'Save a Life, Surrender a Knife' campaign, linked with the UK-wide tour of the centre's Knife Angel sculpture.
Created by artist Alfie Bradley, the sculpture is made from knives handed in or confiscated by police forces across the country.
The centre also makes amnesty or surrender banks and bins that are offered to community and safety groups.
Mr Knowles said: "We are encouraging a vast range of organisations, from councils, to mosques or faith groups, Neighbourhood Watch to youth groups, to have a bin for surrendering knives and weapons.
"Mobilising the public, to add their efforts across the nation, is our primary goal. The authorities need everyone’s support, in order to see this blight of knife crime retreat."
The latest set of surrender/amnesty bins to leave the British Ironwork Centre recently made their way to Tamworth for a joint police, council and local organisation knife amnesty project.
The bins are being place in various public venues including local churches.
Sergeant Gary Harborow, Tamworth Neighbourhood Policing Team deputy commander said, “While it is important to note that knife crime is relatively low in both Tamworth and Staffordshire as a whole, it is equally important that our community have somewhere that they can dispose of these items to help prevent them falling into the wrong hands.
“We recognise that not everyone feels comfortable visiting police stations, and hope that other locations will encourage people to come forward.
“If anyone is in possession of a knife and is unsure what to do about it, I would urge them to take this opportunity to dispose of it anonymously and safely.”
