Knife amnesty is launched in Cambridgeshire

An amnesty bin for knives is being put out at Huntingdon police station as the Cambridgeshire force joins a national campaign against knife crime.

The campaign means that people will be able to hand in knives without fear of prosecution.

Eighty-five knives were recovered when the force last held an amnesty in July.

The bins will be placed in police stations across the county from October 23.

Chief Insp Marcia Pringle said: “People carrying knives, particularly young people, do so without understanding the real consequences of using them or the devastation that is caused to the victims who are seriously injured or fatally wounded, their families, the life outcomes for the person using the knife and the communities in which the crime occurs.”

Chief Insp Pringle said: “Being in possession of a knife in a public place is unlawful in most circumstances. If you are found to be carrying a knife in a public place you are likely to be arrested and convicted with heavy fines and a lifelong criminal record imposed by the court.

“During the amnesty week we will join police forces across the country in combating knife crime. As part of the operation amnesty bins will be positioned at locations where members of the public can hand in their knives without fear of prosecution.”

From July 2016 to June 2017 there were 220 offences of possessing weapons in Cambridgeshire.

Police said it was illegal to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 18, to carry a knife in public without good reason unless it had a folding blade of three inches or using a knife in a threatening way.

The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is four years in prison and a £5,000 fine.

Police urged people to encourage others to hand in knives or to report offenders to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 and https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.