6,125 knives collected in campaign
MORE than 1,000 knives have been deposited in Bury St Edmunds as part of a year-long campaign.
Residents parted with 1,029 blades at an amnesty bin outside Bury Police Station for the Bin a Blade initiative.
A total of 6,125 knives were collected across the county for the amnesty, which was launched by anti-knife crime campaigner Holly Watson, BBC Radio Suffolk and Suffolk Police Chief Constable Simon Ash.
Bins were also set up at Mildenhall, Ipswich and Lowestoft stations with two mobile bins touring the county’s smaller stations.
In other parts of West Suffolk, 145 knives were collected in Mildenhall, 100 in Stowmarket and 26 in Needham Market.
The campaign ran in conjunction with knife patrols using metal detecting arches outside Bury night clubs, a crackdown on knife sellers at car boot sales and wristbands for young people to pledge not to carry a knife.
Mr Ash said: “I would like to thank all of those people who have chosen to dispose of unwanted knives, and in some cases offensive weapons, in our six amnesty bins over the past year.
“Every blade binned makes the county a safer place.”
As a result of their success, bins will remain in Bury, Mildenhall, Ipswich and Lowestoft.
Mr Ash added: “We’re giving our full support to Holly’s work to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.
“We have been helping her to develop an online pledge wall and Suffolk Constabulary’s charity, the Safer Suffolk Foundation, has granted £1,500 for the purchase of wristbands to affirm the pledge ‘I Don’t Carry A Knife’.
“A hard-hitting film on our website and YouTube will compliment this.”
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Friday 25 May 2012
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