Police install knife bins in Lancaster and Morecambe

The safe and secure containers have been installed at Greenayre Skate Park on Parliament Street in Lancaster and near the youth centre on Central Drive in Morecambe to give residents a legal and safe way to surrender knives and bladed items.

Any items deposited in the bin will be taken away and destroyed.

The two bins are among 16 containers to be located in busy, well-lit areas across the county as part of Lancashire Constabulary’s ongoing work to keep knives off the streets.

Chief Inspector Steve Anderton, knife crime lead at Lancashire Violence Reduction Unit, said: “Knives and sharp objects are present in everyone’s home and are easily picked up by children and young people. Providing a safe facility for dealing with unwanted knives is just one of many ways we can come together with communities to keep knives off our streets and protect young people.

“Anyone who has a knife or bladed weapon can dispose of it in the knife bins where it will be taken away and destroyed. We want to keep knives off the streets and keep our young people safe and providing a way for people to dispose of bladed items helps us to do that.”

The new facilities come after Lancashire Constabulary secured government funding to help tackle increased knife crime.

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Knives can have a tragic impact on people’s lives as a consequence of them being used as weapons. I fully support the public health approach to violent crime and that we need to work across our communities and organisations to make Lancashire a safer place, something which Lancashire Violent Reduction Unit is working hard to do.

“Knife bins provide a key focal point which encourage people to dispose of them safely and help make our streets safer, whilst acting as a reminder that carrying a knife is illegal, and you will be arrested and prosecuted if you are caught with one.

“Tackling crime and reoffending, particularly violent crime, is a key priority for us in Lancashire.”

If you have any information about knife crime, you can call 101.