Man hands in 24 knives during weapons amnesty

A man in his 20s has handed in more than 20 weapons during a police force knife amnesty.

The knife collector from Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, got in touch with officers to request a home visit to remove the unwanted weapons, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

A spokesperson thanked him and said he had "confided in us that he didn't feel comfortable travelling to one of our knife amnesty bins to hand them in".

It was part of a pilot scheme in which people unable to travel to a police station knife bin during the week-long amnesty could request a home visit instead.

Cambridgeshire Police said 98 weapons or knives were handed in during the annual amnesty.

For the first time, it included knuckledusters, extendable batons, curved swords and zombie weapons, which are now illegal to own.

This year, the force piloted home visits in some areas of Peterborough, Fenland and east Cambridgeshire.

Those interested got in touch by email and an officer arranged a time for collection.

"More than a third of amnesty items were handed in this way, including 24 weapons handed in by one man alone in Chatteris," a police spokesperson said.

"There were an extra 220 hours of foot patrols in Peterborough, Cambridge and Wisbech during the week, together with knife sweeps in hotspot areas and test purchasing with our volunteer police cadets to ensure no knives were sold to those under 18."

School visits were also organised, as well as court experience days, working alongside a magistrate and crown court judge.

Possession of weapons offences in Cambridgeshire have increased by 31%, from 312 between April 2023 and March 2024, to 408 between 2024-2025, police said.

A record 370 items were handed in during the last amnesty in November, the force added.

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