Bristol knife surrender bins take 175 knives off city's streets

Chief Inspector Mike Vass said knife amnesty bins were helping to take knives out of the hands of young people in the fight against knife crime

Zombie knives, Rambo knives and machetes are among the blades handed in as part of a knife amnesty in Bristol.

Fatal stabbings were rising in the city but knife crime overall was lower than in 2016, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Chief Inspector Mike Vass said: "Any potentially dangerous weapon off our streets is an absolute win."

In total 175 blades have been deposited in two surrender bins in Bristol since 2023 and two more bins will be installed in East Bristol this month.

So far three teenagers and one man have been fatally stabbed in Bristol since the start of 2024.

Police officers installed two bins in Castle Park and the Park Centre to encourage people to safely and anonymously surrender knives.

There are now 17 such surrender bins across the Avon and Somerset region - resulting in more than 5,000 knives being taken off the streets since 2016.

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New knife surrender bins have been installed in Bristol City Centre

Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, were stabbed in Knowle West on 27 January; and Darrian Williams, 16, was stabbed in Easton on 14 February.

Aliki Mamwa, 30, died from stab wounds on 5 March in St Pauls, and 19-year-old Eddie Kinuthia was fatally stabbed in the same area of the city in July 2023.

Avon and Somerset Police are urging young people to think twice before carrying a knife.

'Surrenders positive for communities'

Mr Vass said attacks involving knives in the past six months had "compounded anxiety in the community".

He said of the 175 weapons deposited in the amnesty bins, 68 were left in the Castle Park bin and 107 were left in the Park Centre bin.

The force has also been working with HeartSafe UK to roll out more than 150 emergency bleed kits in public places.