Zombie knives, flick knives and guns handed in during Gloucestershire Police amnesty

More than 300 knives and other weapons have been handed in to Gloucestershire Police in a two-week-long amnesty. Credit: Gloucestershire Police

More than 300 weapons - including zombie knives, flick knives and firearms - have been taken off the streets of Gloucestershire thanks to a two-week-long police amnesty.

Seven bins were placed at police stations across the county where people could deposit weapons without fear of prosecution.

The haul has now been taken to the force's operation base and sorted and photographed.

All of the weapons will now be destroyed.

Some of the guns handed in during the amnesty. Credit: Gloucestershire Police

The items surrendered included:

  • 317 knives of various types

  • 3 batons

  • 1 nunchuck

  • 4 shotguns

  • 3 imitation firearms

  • 1 air weapon

  • A number of rounds of ammunition

Chief Inspector Carl Bourne said: "I'd like to thank the public for their support during this campaign.

"We are confident that we have started a conversation in many households about weapon ownership and knife crime.

“The vast majority of the knives that were handed in are now classified as illegal to possess in your home address after a recent change in the law.

"Some items that fall into this category are; butterfly knives, disguised knives, flick knives, zombie knives and swords."

The surrender was part of a national campaign called Operation Sceptre, aimed at tackling knife crime.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 23 children aged 17 or under were murdered with a knife or sharp object in England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2020.

The amnesty bin at Dursley Police Station - others were at Bearlands, Cirencester, Coleford, Hester’s Way, Stroud, Tewkesbury and Stow. Credit: ITV West Country

That statistic does not include the death of teenager Joshua Hall who was stabbed by a 15-year-old following a disagreement. He died at Cam sports ground in April 2021.

One of the amnesty bins was based at the local police station in Dursley.

All the weapons surrendered in that bin and the other seven locations will now be destroyed and will no longer have the potential to harm.