Father of Hollie Gazzard welcomes Gloucestershire knife amnesty

Hollie Gazzard was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in 2014

The father of a woman stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend says if a new knife amnesty takes just one weapon off the street it will be a success.

Hollie Gazzard was murdered at a beauty salon in Gloucester by Asher Maslin, who later received a life sentence.

Her father Nick Gazzard has welcomed the launch of a Gloucestershire Police campaign amid an increase in weapon possession.

He said: "Young people don't know the devastation that knives can do."

Just a single knife surrendered to police, he added, could prove the difference between life and death.

"If that knife would then go on to injure or kill someone, then getting that knife off the street would be the right thing to do."

Secure knife bins

Gloucestershire Police saw a 26% increase in weapon possession in 2015, a period in which there were two fatal stabbings.

A spokesman said: "Reducing violent crime is one of the constabulary's strategic objectives, and the level of violent crime that the county and Gloucester in particular, has suffered over the past few months cannot be allowed to continue.

"We are inviting people to 'surrender a knife, not your life'."

Secure knife bins will be placed in the reception area of six police stations throughout the county where people can surrender a weapon.

Hollie Gazzard was 20 when she was stabbed at work in 2014.

Following her death, her family set up a trust in her name aimed at steering young people away from anti-social behaviour.