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The largest haul of weapons ever has been deposited into the Police and Crime Commissioner’s weapon surrender bins in the last 6 months.

In total, more than 2,000 knives, machetes and guns were placed into Simon Foster’s 20 safe and secure containers by members of the public and have now been removed and will be destroyed.

The weapon bins have been strategically placed across the West Midlands to provide somewhere for people to anonymously dispose of unwanted or illegal blades.

Knife crime has more than doubled in the West Midlands since 2012 and is a problem across the country. The weapon bins are one of the many measures that the PCC and West Midlands Police have in place to prevent and tackle knife crime in the area.

The PCC also invests in a range of measures designed to reduce knife crime, including a programme in schools and youth centres which has so far educated more than 50,000 young people on the dangers of knives.

Commenting on the latest emptying of the bins, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, said: “I’m very grateful to the public for using these weapon surrender bins as every dangerous item deposited into them is potentially a life saved.

“It’s staggering to think that in just 6 months we’ve removed more than 2,000 knives and other weapons from our streets.

“I’m also committed to continually investing in other preventative programmes, via the Violence Reduction Unit, that are designed to stop violence in its tracks.

“What’s more West Midlands Police works around the clock to prevent crime, protect people, help the vulnerable and ensure offenders are brought to justice.”

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