8,500 knives taken off the streets of North Yorkshire
Knife bins have been set up across North Yorkshire and York for the public to dispose of knives safely and anonymously.
Last updated 7 hours ago
More than 8,500 bladed items have been collected in knife bins located across York and North Yorkshire since the programme’s countywide expansion began last year.
Between December 2025 and May 2026, more than 5,583 bladed items were collected.
Members of the public can dispose of knives and other bladed items in the bins safely and anonymously. They're then collected and destroyed by North Yorkshire Police. This ensures they cannot fall into the wrong hands.
Designed and delivered by North Yorkshire Council's Community Safety team, the project builds on a successful pilot launched in Harrogate in January 2023. 3,951 bladed items in total have been collected by the Harrogate bin, up from 2,465 at the time of the countywide rollout.
Following the pilot's success, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority funded an expansion of the project with a £15,000 grant obtained from the York and North Yorkshire Serious Violence Duty (SVD) Prevention and Early Intervention Fund.
Knife Bins were set-up in Selby, Tadcaster, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Skipton, Settle, Stokesley, Northallerton, Thirsk, Richmond, Colburn, Malton, Pickering, Scarborough, Whitby and several locations across York.
Jo Coles, York and North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime said:
“Thankfully we live in one of the safest regions of the country, but violent crime does still happen here and unfortunately crimes involving weapons have been increasing."
"Knife crime devastates lives and families. Removing knives from circulation is one of the most direct ways we can protect our communities."
"The Mayor David Skaith and I are committed to supporting early intervention activities to protect the public."
"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."
"Thank you to our partners with this project, especially the two local authorities and North Yorkshire Police. Every knife taken off the street can help to make our region safer for everyone.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for corporate services, Cllr Heather Phillips, said:
“This initiative, designed and delivered by the community safety team at North Yorkshire Council, is making a real, visible difference in keeping our communities safe. Every item safely disposed of is one less weapon on our streets and one less chance for serious harm to occur."
“It is especially encouraging to see communities across North Yorkshire playing their part in supporting the council’s scheme. The continued use of these bins shows how residents are actively helping to prevent violence and make their areas safer."
“By working closely with our partners, we are taking practical, preventative action that helps protect residents and reinforces our shared commitment to community safety.”