Zombie knife: Bedfordshire Police urges public to hand in machetes ahead of ban
Owners of zombie-style knives and machetes are being encouraged to hand them in during a month-long amnesty.
As new legislation is introduced banning the lethal blades from September 24, Bedfordshire Police are urging people to put their weapons in one of the county’s weapons bins.
Alternatively, you can hand them into Bedfordshire Police HQ in Kempston or Luton Police Station. The month-long surrender scheme runs from Monday (August 26) until September 23.
After that date, if you’re caught with one of these nasty weapons, you could face up to four-years imprisonment – plus anyone caught selling them could be looking at a two-year sentence.
Inspector Liz Spurling from Bedfordshire Police said: “My appeal to anyone in possession of a blade, be it a zombie-style knife or otherwise – just drop it. There is no reason, no excuse and no tolerance for knife crime here in Bedfordshire. Whether you think it’s for protection or because you believe others carry a knife, simply having a blade on you can have deadly consequences. You have a choice and the best thing you can do is to surrender your weapon today.”
Since the launch of the Just Drop It knife crime campaign by the county’s Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit in November last year, over 4,400 knives have been recovered from weapons surrender bins by Bedfordshire Police, marking the forces’ highest figures in five years.