Knife bins remove 8,500 blades from streets

Knife bins in areas across York and North Yorkshire have collected more than 8,500 items since their numbers were increased in 2025.

The bins allow members of the public to dispose of knives and other bladed items safely and anonymously and they are collected and destroyed by North Yorkshire Police.

The scheme initially began as a pilot run by North Yorkshire Council's community safety team in Harrogate in 2023.

Its success led to the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority providing a £15,000 grant to expand the project to other towns and cities in 2025.

York and North Yorkshire's deputy mayor for police, fire and crime Jo Coles said while the area is one of the safest in England "violent crime does happen".

"Knife crime devastates lives and families. Removing knives from circulation is one of the most direct ways we can protect our communities."

She said she and the mayor were committed to supporting early intervention activities.

"That's why we've provided funding for a series of knife drop bins across the region, as a result of which more than 8,500 bladed items have been taken out of circulation."

The expansion in 2025 saw knife bins installed in Selby, Tadcaster, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Skipton, Settle, Stokesley, Northallerton, Thirsk, Richmond, Colburn, Malton, Pickering, Scarborough, Whitby and multiple locations across York.

North Yorkshire Police provide an interactive map of the locations of the knife bins, as well as guidance on how to safely dispose of bladed weapons.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for corporate services, Heather Phillips, said the initiative, designed by the authority's community safety team, was making a "real, visible difference".

"Every item safely disposed of is one less weapon on our streets and one less chance for serious harm to occur."

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