01/09/2026
*TRIGGER WARNING*
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER KNIFE DUMPED.
A local resident spotted a knife dumped on the corner of Sycamore Drive this evening.
They did exactly what we would encourage anyone to do, they contacted the police and did not attempt to handle the knife themselves.
We always advise residents not to pick up or move knives themselves and to report them to the police.
However, the resident was told by police:
“Dispose of it yourself and put it in the nearest black bin or take it to the police station. If it is not a machete or an axe or doesn't have blood on it, then we don't need it.”
So, let's think this through…
Yes, perhaps this particular knife wasn't used in a crime.
But how do we know that?
A knife left abandoned in a public place could potentially be picked up by someone else and used to cause harm or become involved in an incident.
“Put it in the nearest black bin.”
Seriously?
A bin can be knocked over. A knife could fall out onto a pavement. Someone emptying or collecting the bin could potentially come into contact with it.
That does not feel like a safe or appropriate solution to an abandoned weapon in a public place.
“Take it to the police station.”
Ellesmere Port Police Station is unmanned, and Blacon is only manned until 5:30pm. After that, residents need to contact police headquarters to arrange an appointment.
What is a resident supposed to do in the meantime?
And then there is the comment that unless it is a machete, an axe or has blood on it, it isn't needed.
A kitchen knife is still a knife.
It doesn't need to be a machete.
It doesn't need to be an axe.
It doesn't need to have blood on it.
It is still a weapon capable of causing serious harm, and kitchen knives are the most commonly used type of knife in knife-related homicides.
The resident contacted us after being unable to safely deal with the situation themselves.
We went down and collected the knife and it was still exactly where the resident had found it.
This is not good enough.
We should not be putting residents in a position where they feel responsible for safely disposing of abandoned knives.
We should not be telling people to put potentially dangerous weapons into household bins.
And we should not be normalising the idea that certain knives only matter if they have already been used to hurt someone.
OUR TOWN NEEDS SAFE KNIFE DISPOSAL BINS.
We have been calling on Cheshire Police and Cheshire West and Chester Council to work together to provide accessible, secure knife disposal facilities across our communities and we still don't have any!
There needs to be a safe, simple and realistic option for residents who find an abandoned knife.
Because the answer shouldn't be:
“Deal with it yourself.”
It should be:
“Thank you for reporting it. We will make sure it is dealt with safely.”
This is about prevention.
This is about protecting residents.
This is about protecting our children and young people.
And ultimately, this is about making our communities safer.
How many more knives need to be dumped before something changes?
