More than 80,000 knives and dangerous weapons – around 100 a day – have been taken off Britain’s streets and knife robberies in key hotspots are down by almost a quarter.
The weapons haul has been achieved since the General Election through Home Office surrender efforts, police and Border Force seizures, and intensified activity in knife crime hotspots and against criminal gangs.
The total includes new figures which show that 3,811 knives and weapons were handed in during a month of intensified action as part of the Home Office surrender arrangements in August. 3,049 were deposited at the Home Office-funded ‘Word 4 Weapons’ surrender bins and 762 handed to the ‘FazAmnesty’ mobile surrender van. In Yorkshire, 8 new static bins were installed, and in the month of August alone these bins collected 583 weapons
Since June 2024, knife-enabled robbery has also plummeted by 24% across the 7 forces most affected: the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset, and British Transport Police. The forces have come together through the Home Office-led Knife Enabled Robbery Group to share intelligence and tactics to target offenders and hotspots.
Across England and Wales, knife crime is down by 11% since the General Election, equivalent to almost 6,000 fewer offences. Knife homicides are at a 35-year low, and hospital admissions following assault with a sharp object have fallen 16%, including a 19% fall among under-25s.
No parent should have to fear that their child will leave home carrying a knife, or that they might not come home because of one. That is why we are acting at every stage – through targeted enforcement, intervention and prevention – to keep young people and communities safe and prevent families suffering unimaginable loss.
We are turning the tide, as these results clearly show, but we cannot be satisfied while lives are still being lost and communities are still being harmed.
Sandra Campbell, CEO of Word 4 Weapons and a member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, said:
The surrender of more than 3,000 weapons through Word 4 Weapons surrender bins in August shows that when safe disposal opportunities are available, communities respond.
Each knife or weapon removed from our streets and public spaces is one less that could be used to cause harm.
We are proud to work alongside the Home Office, policing partners, and the wider coalition against knife crime to help prevent violence and save lives.
Every weapon surrendered is one less that could destroy a life, a family or a community. The Home Office surrender scheme allows FazAmnesty to bring our mobile van directly into communities, building trust and giving people a safe way to hand over weapons.
These reductions in knife crime are hugely encouraging, and we must keep working together to protect young people and prevent more families experiencing the devastation of knife crime.
These results come as the government continues the roll out of its £26.25 million Knife Crime Concentrations Fund, targeting over 230 knife crime hotspots with action designed around what works locally. This includes extra patrols, targeting prolific offenders, better CCTV and working with young people at risk of violence. This work has been supported by the Home Office’s new ‘No Place for Knives’ pilot communication campaign launched in Birmingham, Croydon and Westminster earlier this month to raise awareness of visible enforcement measures such as extra patrols, rapid-response e-bikes and smarter metal detection.
In April this year, the NPCC-led and Home Office-funded National Knife Crime Centre was also launched. This has already identified 186 grey-market weapons sellers and reported 183 social media handles suspected of promoting or selling dangerous weapons to platforms in order that they can be shut down.
These results are encouraging, but there can be no room for complacency. Tackling knife-enabled crime requires a collective effort, and it is vital that we continue working together to drive further reductions.
The National Knife Crime Centre is committed to doing just that and is making a tangible impact by identifying illicit online sellers, disrupting importation routes, coordinating enforcement activity nationwide, and removing dangerous weapons from circulation.
Together with the Home Office, retailers, tech and social media companies, along with the voluntary sector, we remain committed to finding innovative solutions that deliver lasting change and help keep our streets safe.
Pooja Kanda OBE, mother of Ronan Kanda, who was killed with a ninja sword in a case of mistaken identity, and member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime said:
Every knife removed from our streets is potentially a life saved, and I welcome the progress being made by this government. It is genuinely saving lives.
Working with this government on Ronan’s Law and surrender schemes was only the beginning. I will continue working with the government to call for a robust retailer licensing system, stronger accountability and continued prevention to protect future generations.
As part of its plan to halve knife crime within a decade, the government is combining strong enforcement action with wider work to prevent people from being drawn into knife crime in the first place. This includes working with schools, Violence Reduction Units and local organisations to reach young people and others at risk of violence.
Since July 2024, 80,190 knives and weapons have been removed or seized through government surrender arrangements, enforcement activity, Border Force seizures and the County Lines Programme. This comprises:
– 3,049 weapons deposited in Home Office funded ‘Word 4 Weapons’ surrender bins and a further 762 handed in through the ‘FazAmnesty’ mobile surrender van during the August surrender drive
Knife-enabled robbery (KER) is down 24% across the 7 KER Group forces compared with the June 2024 baseline, equivalent to 3,810 fewer robberies. This is an improvement on the 23% reduction in the previous reporting period. Police recorded knife-enabled robbery offences – GOV.UK.
– the government’s Plan to Halve Knife Crime combines enforcement, prevention, early intervention and targeted local action: Protecting lives, building hope: a plan to halve knife crime – GOV.UK
– in October the Home Office funding supported Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit to launch the latest phase of the I Am Greater campaign. This campaign aims to encourage young people to engage with activities in their area to reduce the risk of them being drawn into serious violence including knife crime. More information on ‘I am Greater’ can be found here: Home – I am Greater
Sources and further reading
GOV.UK — News & Communications — original report · Original publication: 2026-11-13
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