Operation Sceptre aims to tackle violent knife crime

Knife surrender bins enable people to dispose of their knives and other bladed weapons without fear of prosecution

Permanent knife surrender bins have been installed around the county as part of a two-week campaign of intensive action by the police to tackle knife crime.

Operation Sceptre, supported by Wiltshire Police, began on Monday. The initiative takes place twice a year and aims to raise awareness of knife crime and the police response in detecting and preventing it.

The new knife bin, installed in Devizes, is an anonymous way of encouraging people to safely discard of any knives or weapons they are carrying.

A neighbourhood police officer told the BBC children are carrying knives out of "fear".

Rhys used to be involved in county lines but now teaches young people

As well as giving people the chance to surrender their unwanted blades, Operation Sceptre is also using the next fortnight to highlight the work Wiltshire Police does to tackle violent crime.

Police figures show there were 326 recorded instances of knife crime in Wiltshire and Swindon in 2023. This shows an increase of 15% when compared to the previous year - when there were 278 recorded crimes.

Wiltshire Police said it plans to showcase real stories about the impact of knife crime on young people by partnering with Escapeline - an organisation funded by crime commissioners across the South West to educate people about the dangers of county lines and criminal gang exploitation.

'Bins are crucial'

Rhys is a youth mentor who works for the organisation. He spent 10 years being exploited by county lines gangs and now uses his story to connect with young people and help them to understand the pitfalls of being trapped in a world of criminal activity.

He told the BBC the youngest child using Escapeline was six years old, adding that the peak age for knife crime is about 14.

He said raising the age people can buy knives to 25 would be "crucial".

"If you go on certain social media channels there are people who put themselves in the firing line going to collect knives off of young people," he said.

"I don't think it should be down to members of society to do this. The bins, and the locations of the bins are crucial.

"Where there are drugs and violence there is always knife crime.

"They all go hand in hand. If there is a rise in knife crime, I can almost guarantee you there will be a rise in drugs, other violence and anti-social behaviour. They're all interlinked."

Weapons deposited in surrender bins are removed by professionals and destroyed

Working closely with partner agencies, Wiltshire Police supports Operation Sceptre working with schools, conducting safety sweeps for hidden or discarded knives, high visibility patrols, and raising awareness of Challenge 25 at places selling knives.

Insp Ben Huggins, neighbourhood policing inspector for Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey, said the surrender bins helped to break the cycle of knife crime.

"What we know is the fear in seeing someone with a knife can in-turn lead to a young person carrying a knife themselves. That is part of the cycle we have got to break.

"The installation of the surrender bin here, is one tool in our armoury to really support that disruption and offer a mechanism."