Knife bins installed in Folkestone ahead of ahead of Operation Sceptre

Two knife bins have been placed in Folkestone to give anyone in possession of a bladed object a safe place to dispose of it.

One of the bins is at the Canterbury Road entrance to the Canterbury Road Recreation Ground and the other is near the Payers Park Car Park, off Dover Road.

The scheme encourages anyone with a knife, or any other potential weapon, to dispose of it in these safe places without fear of prosecution.

The knife bins have been funded by Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit as a part of a county-wide project to tackle knife crime, with other districts' Community Safety Units also installing similar bins.

They were placed in Folkestone ahead of Op Sceptre, a national week of action to tackle knife crime which runs from Monday 15 November to Sunday 21 November 2021.

Sergeant Barry Horton, of Folkestone Community Safety Unit, said:

"Every knife disposed of in these bins is a potential weapon that cannot be used to threaten, injure or harm.

"We encourage anyone who has a knife in their possession, or knows someone who may carry one, to use these bins as soon as possible and make our communities safer.

"Levels of knife crime are low in Kent compared to other parts of the country, but we are not complacent and remain committed to tackling those who may carry them and removing weapons from our streets.

"We will continue to work with partners to tackle the issue, challenge the culture that leads to carrying weapons, and bring offenders to justice."

Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee, Folkestone and Hythe District Council's cabinet member for communities, said:

'Our Community Safety Unit has been working closely with Kent Police to get these bins installed and, although levels of knife crime in our district remain low, they will support our work to keep the area a safe place to live.'

Carrying a knife for use as a weapon is an offence, which can lead to a criminal record, court action and a fine or prison sentence.