28-05-2025
Chatteris boy hands in 24 knives during police weapons amnesty
A boy has handed in more than 20 weapons during a police force knife young person from Chatteris got in touch with officers to request a home visit to collect the unwanted weapons, according to Cambridgeshire Police. A spokesperson thanked the boy who 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.
The annual Cambridgeshire Police amnesty offers people the chance to surrender weapons such as knives and also includes knuckledusters, extendable batons, curved swords and zombie weapons, which are now illegal to 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. 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 also undertook school visits during the week, while extra patrols carried out in "hotspot" areas, targeting those believed to be carrying knives.
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