Suffolk police has announced the new home for the Ipswich knife amnesty bin, as part of the ‘Bin a Blade’ campaign.

The permanent location of the bin is outside Ipswich Princes Street Fire Station in Princes Street, where individuals can deposit bladed items anonymously, any day of the week and at any time.

All the deposited knives will be taken to Sackers Recycling in Great Blakenham where they will be safely disposed of.

The new location is due to Ipswich Police Station relocating from Civic Drive to Museum Street.

Permanent knife bins are still located outside Mildenhall, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds Police Stations and a temporary bin outside Sudbury Police Station on Acton Lane.

Suffolk Police’s temporary Chief Constable Gareth Wilson said: “I would like to thank Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service for supporting our initiative of Bin a Blade by letting us place the new bin outside their fire station.

“While there is not a significant problem with knife crime in Suffolk, our amnesty is continuing to make people think about the consequences of carrying a knife and realise that even one knife out on the streets of Suffolk, is one too many.

“It is important residents and visitors in Ipswich feel safe and people are given the opportunity to dispose of unwanted knives in a way to ensure they are not used in criminality or anti-social behaviour.”

Station Commander for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Chris Gibbs said: “Knife crime can have a devastating effect on local communities so Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are very happy to be supporting this campaign in partnership with the police.”

Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, added: “I am really pleased to see the Constabulary working with colleagues in the fire service to promote this important initiative. We need to do all we can through education, peer pressure, policing and sentencing to make it absolutely clear that it’s never acceptable for a person to carry a knife or weapon.

“I fully support the use of these bins and would encourage anyone who has a knife or any other weapon to dispose of them responsibly and immediately.”

An initial year-long amnesty saw 6,125 knives anonymously left in six amnesty bins around the county in 2011.

In 2012 a further 2,205 blades were deposited and 2,606 were dropped in the bins in 2013.

In 2014, 1,720 knives have been surrendered, with the total being 12,656 since the campaign’s launch in January 2011.

For more information about the campaign visit www.suffolk.police.uk/safetyadvice/personalsafety/knifecrime/binablade.aspx