More than 1,000 knives and bladed items have been surrendered through Havering’s first permanent knife bin during its first year of operation.

The bin, located in the car park at Central Park Leisure Centre in Harold Hill, has collected 1,152 knives and bladed items since it was installed in June 2025.

It allows people to anonymously and safely dispose of knives and other bladed weapons and is funded by the Home Office through Word4Weapons.

Havering Council says the facility forms part of wider preventative work by its community safety and enforcement teams, working alongside the Metropolitan Police and other partners.

Second knife bin installed in Romford

A second permanent knife bin was installed outside Havering Town Hall in Romford during August.

The facility, located next to the recycling bins in the Main Road car park, has been jointly funded by OpenView and Romford BID through Word4Weapons.

The council is encouraging anyone in possession of a knife or other weapon to surrender it and is urging people not to carry knives.

Councillor Terry Brown, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection and Anti-Knife Champion, welcomed the number of weapons surrendered in Harold Hill.

He said: “It is great news to hear that the knife bin in Harold Hill has helped get over a thousand knives and other bladed items taken off our Borough’s streets.”

Councillor Brown stressed that the number of items surrendered should not be interpreted as reflecting the level of knife crime in Havering, which the council describes as one of London’s safest boroughs.

He added that the bins provide another way of supporting the work carried out by the council, police and other partners to improve community safety.