Suffolk Police’s ‘Bin a Blade’ scheme was introduced back in December 2010 and encouraged members of the public to anonymously and safely dispose of unwanted knifes and blades in special bins around the county.

Suffolk Constabulary’s knife amnesty boxes have collected over 20,000 blades in the past seven years according to new figures released by the force.

The campaign was inspired by local anti-knife campaigner Holly Watson whose brother Lewis was fatally stabbed on East Street in Sudbury on a night out in September 2009.

To date 20,115 bladed items have been put into bins across the county.

Chief Constable Gareth Wilson said: “This is a significant milestone for the Bin a Blade campaign and I would like to thank all those people who have chosen to dispose of unwanted knives - and in some cases offensive weapons - in amnesty bins over the past seven years.

“Every one of the 20,000 blades that have been deposited help to make the county a safer place.

“Whilst there is not a significant problem with knife crime in Suffolk, our amnesty is continuing to make people think about the consequences of carrying a knife and offering a way to dispose of them without prejudice.”

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I fully support the Bin a Blade campaign and to see that over 20,000 blades have been collected since the initiative was launched is excellent.

“We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it’s never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon.

“I find it really disappointing that anyone carries a blade of any kind.

“The Bin a Blade campaign and the use of these bins is a great way of highlighting the issue of knife crime, along with the national Operation Sceptre initiative.

“I would encourage anyone who has a knife or any other weapon to dispose of them responsibly and immediately.

“Ultimately it is about making Suffolk as safe as possible.”

Knife amnesty bins are currently in place outside Ipswich Fire Station as well as Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall, Sudbury and Haverhill police stations.