UK knives amnesty gets under way

Press Association
May. 24, 2006

A nationwide knife amnesty has begun across the country - the first of its kind for 10 years.

For the next five weeks - until June 30 - people will be able to hand in all bladed instruments without fear of reprisal.

The initiative is being backed by police forces throughout England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Scotland is running its own amnesty concurrently.

Secure bins will be placed in the public reception areas of most police stations to encourage people to hand in their weapons. Individual police forces may also decide to leave bins in churches, supermarkets, schools and youth clubs to encourage the handover.

Families of victims killed in knife attacks questioned the effectiveness of the amnesty and called instead for tougher sentencing.

The amnesty involves all legal knives - such a kitchen knives - and offensive weapons, such as flick knives, butterfly knives and swords. The police ask that all offending blades are wrapped in card or paper, partly to prove they are part of the amnesty and partly to prevent injury at the site of delivery.

Scotland Yard said only those weapons believed to be significant to police inquiries would be forensically examined.

The scheme was announced in February by then Home Secretary Charles Clarke, who said: "The message of this campaign is simple - carrying knives on the streets will not be tolerated."

A Home Office spokesman said the emphasis of the campaign was to try to stop people carrying knives because of the risk that the weapon could be used against the carrier.

He said tackling knife culture, especially among young people, was paramount to community safety. Evidence suggests that the most likely group to carry knives are male youths aged between 15 and 16.