90 blades – including machetes and meat cleavers – handed to Islington police in 6 weeks

Ninety knives – including machetes and meat cleavers – have been given up to police in the space of six weeks.

The blades were dropped in an amnesty bin at Islington Police Station, in Tolpuddle Street.

Det Insp Will Lexton-Jones told the Gazette: “The hope is, someone walking around with a weapon will start to think: ‘You know what? I don’t want this.’ Even if one person uses the amnesty bin, it makes an impact.”

Asked what reaons people may have for using it, Det Insp Lexton-Jones said: “Knife crime is complex. There are a combination of complex motives for putting knives in the bin.

“Parents might take weapons from their children. There may have been kids carrying knives since 12 or 13, but have a change of heart. Or something terrible may have happened to a friend, or in the community.”

There are also amnesty bins, provided by the Words 4 Weapons charity, in Carnegie Street, off Caledonian Road, and Moray Road, Finsbury Park.