Permanent knife bin to tackle rise in North Yorkshire knife crime

North Yorkshire has seen an 80% rise in knife crime between 2020 and 2021

The first permanent knife surrender bin is to be installed in North Yorkshire to tackle an 80% rise in knife crimes in the county.

Police say the increase in offences between 2020 and 2021 is linked to peer pressure, gang culture and cross-border criminals moving into the area.

The bin will be installed in Harrogate's Dragon Road car park.

There have been more than 2,700 knife-related incidents in the Harrogate district since the start of 2020.

This included two murders on Mayfield Grove, and a man being left with life changing injuries after an attack near the Victoria Shopping Centre.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the bin is part of a 12-month pilot which if successful could see more bins rolled out across the county.

A joint report from North Yorkshire Police and Harrogate Borough Council said "every knife deposited in the bin is one less that could cause injury to others".

"There is an increasing need for an all year round facility to enable people to safely, and anonymously, discard any knives/weapons found, not just during police campaigns at police stations," the report said.

"The vast majority of police intelligence submissions are in relation to young people carrying knives for protection from other young people with whom they are 'feuding', to protect themselves from being attacked whilst carrying drugs and also to 'tax' known drug dealers or those in debt to drug dealers."

It is planned to install the knife bin in the Dragon Road car park

The report added that Harrogate was chosen for the pilot because it makes up for more than half of knife-related incidents in the local command area which also includes Craven, Hambleton and Richmondshire.

Local residents have been consulted over the plan and a decision about whether to go ahead will be made by the council next week.