Knife amnesty bins on a tour of Suffolk police stations

Holly Watson and BBC Suffolk's Mark Murphy empty the Ipswich bin

Two mobile bins are beginning a tour of Suffolk as part of a police knife amnesty supported by BBC Suffolk.

The scheme began in December 2010 with three static bins placed outside police stations in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds.

By the end of January 2011, 977 weapons had been handed in.

Ipswich had 623 weapons in its metal container, there were 228 in Bury St Edmunds and 126 in Lowestoft.

Chief Constable Simon Ash said: "The mobile bins mean people who don't live or work in Suffolk's largest towns don't have to worry about how to dispose of knives.

"They can take them to a secure location at some of our smaller police stations anonymously."

Stabbed to death

The mobile bins will be at two police stations each month. The exception is Kessingland where a bin will be at the library/parish council offices.

The campaign is being supported by Holly Watson, 17, whose brother Lewis, 23, was stabbed to death in Sudbury in 2009.

Ms Watson said: "It's quite overwhelming that so many people have come and binned their blades.

"I've been working with the police and filmed a community television ad which is being finalised."

Insp Jane Hertzog, who emptied the bin at Bury St Edmunds, said: "I think it's amazing that so many knives have been surrendered. I'm really pleased with those results.

"At the end of the year we'll be counting up the knives and then they'll be properly melted down."