Over 1,500 knives surrendered in 'Bin the Blade' campaign

‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife’

Over 1,500 knives and other sharp weapons have been taken off the region’s streets during the ‘Bin the Blade’ knife surrender.

The haul includes an array of weapons – from domestic kitchen knives to swords, axes and hunting blades. The most unusual items include wartime cut throat razors, a small knife in the shape of a shotgun cartridge and a number of ornamental daggers.

The Bin the Blade campaign was launched in support of the British Ironwork Centre’s ‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife’ initiative, which began in August 2014 with a knife bank in Birmingham. The British Ironworks Centre tours the UK, encouraging young people who are carrying knives to give them up. Surrendered knives will be used to create a spectacular 15-24 feet tall Angel statue in memory of those whose lives have been tragically lost to knife crime.

During the month of February 11 knife bins were placed across the region. The secure bins were designed in conjunction with the voluntary organisation, Raising Aspirations and manufactured by the British Ironworks Centre specifically for the surrender and completely free of charge.

The surrender ran from 1 – 28 February 2015, members of the public were asked to dispose of unlawfully held or unwanted knives and help prevent them getting into the wrong hands. It gave the public the chance to dispose of knives and other sharp weapons by simply dropping them in one of the dedicated bins completely anonymously.

The knives will now be collected by the British Ironworks Centre where they will undergo a sterilisation process before being added to the sculpture. The exact number of knives will be confirmed during this inspection.

Detective Chief Inspector Debbie Dooley of the Xcalibre Task Force said: “This year’s knife surrender was a remarkable success and I am delighted that we have managed to remove over 1,500 weapons from the streets of Greater Manchester.

“The number of incidents of knife crime in Greater Manchester remains comparatively low, with numbers falling year on year. However, the incidents that do occur have a devastating impact so whilst the surrender may be over; our commitment to protecting our communities from knife crime is not.

“We will continue to work hard to make the streets safer and will take strong action against anyone who carries a knife and believes they are above the law.”

DCI Dooley added: “If you come across a knife or any other weapon during a house move or clear out, or you perhaps inherit or find an item, please do not wait for a surrender to get it off the streets – trained staff will always be on hand to dispose of them safely and securely. Just call your local police enquiry desk or 101 for assistance.”