More dangerous weapons will be removed from our streets through a
new government surrender scheme in partnership with the Coalition
to Tackle Knife Crime.
Throughout July, knife crime activist and member of the
government's coalition, Faron Paul, will drive across London, the
West Midlands and Greater Manchester in a purpose-built and fully
secure van, encouraging young people to hand over dangerous and
illegal weapons safely.
This is the government's most ambitious weapons surrender scheme
to date and will also see a major expansion of anonymous
surrender bins in partnership with knife crime charity
Words4Weapons. The Home Office is funding 37 new surrender
bins across London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester –
the three highest areas of knife crime in England and Wales.
Part of the government's Plan for Change, these initiatives will
give young people more options where they can securely hand over
weapons, without needing to go to a police station, helping to
keep our streets safer and take more weapons out of communities.
Young people will also be encouraged to hand in all types of
weapons, including Ninja swords – which will be banned in full
from 1 August.
Policing and Crime Minister Dame said:
This government is taking a different approach to tackling knife
crime — one rooted in partnership with those who have first-hand
experience of this devastating crime.
We are committed to halving knife crime within a decade as part
of our Plan for Change — and that demands bold, radical
action.
That is why we formed the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, not as
a talking shop, but as a genuine, working partnership and these
new initiatives are a direct result of that collaboration. I'm
deeply grateful to Faron Paul and Sandra Campbell for their
leadership in driving them forward.
We know that young people involved in crime can have complex
pasts and often deep-rooted mistrust in authority, and I truly
believe it's this kind of collaboration that will save young
lives.
Faron Paul is an anti-knife crime campaigner and CEO of Faz
Amnesty, who survived two life-threatening knife attacks and now
does vital work in helping young people hand in knives. He also
acts as a mentor to young people caught in the vicious cycle of
carrying knives. Faron uses social media to raise awareness of
the consequences of carrying knives. The surrender van
being driven across the country will be fully purpose-built to
ensure it is safe and secure and police officers will be on hand
for additional support and security.
Faron Paul, CEO of Faz Amnesty said:
The launch of the UK's first-ever amnesty van is a historic
moment — not just for FazAmnesty, but for communities across the
country. In partnership with the Home Office, this van allows us
to take our mission directly to the people, giving them a safe,
secure, and discreet way to hand in offensive weapons. For years,
we've worked tirelessly to remove knives and other weapons from
our streets, and this van is a major step forward in that
mission. It's more than just a vehicle — it's a symbol of hope,
change, and second chances. This is about saving lives,
protecting our communities, and breaking the cycle of violence.
I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come — and this is only the
beginning.
The Home Office has partnered with surrender charity,
Words4Weapons, to manufacture these bins. Words4Weapons already
have several weapons bins placed across London, Hertfordshire and
Sheffield, and help to connect young people with local services
to access the best possible help.
The scheme will also include a limited compensation offering for
Ninja swords handed in ahead of the ban on 1 August. Any members
of the public wishing to surrender a Ninja sword in exchange for
compensation will need to safely take the weapon to one of the
designated police stations.
Any member of the public found with one of these weapons
following 1 August will be breaking the law and could face time
in prison.
Sandra Campbell, CEO of Words4 Weapons said:
We are proud to partner with the Home Office on what is the most
ambitious weapons surrender initiative to date. These bespoke
Word 4 Weapons bins will provide communities with safe and
anonymous disposal options. Each bin represents a proactive step
towards saving lives and helping to restore neighbourhood trust.
By making weapon disposals more accessible, we are not just
removing dangerous items from the streets but supporting
individuals to make alternative choices. We are grateful for
the government's support and pleased to contribute to this vital
national initiative.
