Northamptonshire knife crime group to install amnesty bins

The Off The Streets campaign group spoke at Dylan Holliday's former school following his death

Seven permanent knife amnesty bins are due to be installed by a campaign group formed after a teenager was stabbed to death.

Dylan Holliday, 16, died in August 2021 in Brooke Close, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Four bins will be installed in the town, with three more in Irthlingborough, Rushden and Corby.

Rav Jones, from the Off The Streets North Northants group, said they had the potential to save lives.

Mr Jones said knife crime was a "massive issue" in Northamptonshire and throughout the UK.

Seven knife amnesty bins will be installed around Wellingborough, Corby, Irthlingborough and Rushden in February

Home Office figures for the 12 months to June 2021 showed 724 serious knife offences had taken place in the county, including two fatalities.

The death of Dylan Holliday fell outside of that period.

One of the new bins, which will be available from February, will be placed in Kingswood, Corby where 16-year-old Rayon Pennycook was stabbed to death last year.

They have been funded by North Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire Police and Greatwell Homes.

• 'Teenagers influenced by gangs and county lines'

• 'Traumatic' scene as PC tried to save stabbed boy

• Bleed kits put in town where teen fatally stabbed

Mr Jones said problems in North Northamptonshire have been exacerbated by a lack of community activities and youth clubs for young people.

Knife amnesty bins allowed weapons to be deposited anonymously, something Mr Jones believed would encourage more people to use them.

"We all know that young people don't trust the police," he said.

"Why would they walk into a police station and hand something in?"

Two teenagers accused of the murder of Dylan Holliday in Wellingborough will go on trial later this month

He said people were more likely to drop knives into an amnesty bin: "That is potentially another life saved."

Mr Jones said everyone had a responsibility to help eradicate knives from the community, with surplus kitchen knives a major issue.

"We need to know as parents how many knives there are in our kitchens," he said.

"If there is a surplus knife put it in the amnesty bin.

"People throw knives in the waste. That gives people the opportunity to pick them up and use them."

He said Off The Streets had plans to install more amnesty bins.

Two teenagers accused of the murder of Dylan Holliday have pleaded not guilty, with a trial due to start next week.