Knife amnesty event to be held at CHURCH in Milton Keynes

People are being urged to take knives and other weapons along to St Fridewide’s in Bletchley later this month and drop them in a special bin in the church car park.

The event has been organised by the Central Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Neighbourhood Police team in partnership with Milton Keynes Council.

A police spokesman said: “We're holding the knife amnesty so you can hand these in safely and anonymously.

"We will not take any personal details from you nd you will no be penalised”

He said the initiative, one of several recent amnesties in MK, was part of plans to show the force’s ongoing commitment to tackling violent crime and get weapons off the streets.

“You can drop off any knives that you don’t use at home or sharp bladed objects that in the wrong hands could be used as an offensive weapon in crime,” he added.

The church is in Drayton Road on Water Eaton and the event will take place on Saturday September 24 between 12 noon and 4pm.

Anybody with any questions or concerns about knife crime can pop along and chat with police in private.

“Let’s work as a community and make our streets safer,” said the spokesman.

People are welcome to take along unwanted kitchen knives of any size that they are reluctant to dispose of in their normal bins.

Police launched Operation Deter in July to clamp down on knife crime after the city was rocked by four fatal stabbings in a period of just 13 weeks.

Last month they released figures to show how successful the tougher new approach was proving, with officers dealing with an average of two knife-enabled crimes per day and making numerous arrests.

Meanwhile, St Frideswide’s Church describes itself as a place to “have fun, make friends and grow disciples of Jesus.”

They share Water Eaton Church Centre with Spurgeon Baptist Church and partner with them in community activities and outreach.

The congregation meets every Sunday at 915am and 5pm, and also every Tuesday at 1pm for a ‘Soup for the Soul’ service.