Throughout July, knife crime activist and member of the government’s coalition, Faron Paul, will drive across London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester in a purpose-built and fully secure van, encouraging young people to hand over dangerous and illegal weapons safely.
This is the government’s most ambitious weapons surrender scheme to date and will also see a major expansion of anonymous surrender bins in partnership with knife crime charity Words4Weapons. The Home Office is funding 37 new surrender bins across London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester – the three highest areas of knife crime in England and Wales.
Part of the government’s Plan for Change, these initiatives will give young people more options where they can securely hand over weapons, without needing to go to a police station, helping to keep our streets safer and take more weapons out of communities.
Young people will also be encouraged to hand in all types of weapons, including Ninja swords – which will be banned in full from 1 August.
Policing and Crime Minister Dame Diana Johnson said
This government is taking a different approach to tackling knife crime — one rooted in partnership with those who have first-hand experience of this devastating crime.
We are committed to halving knife crime within a decade as part of our Plan for Change — and that demands bold, radical action.
That is why we formed the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, not as a talking shop, but as a genuine, working partnership and these new initiatives are a direct result of that collaboration. I’m deeply grateful to Faron Paul and Sandra Campbell for their leadership in driving them forward.
We know that young people involved in crime can have complex pasts and often deep-rooted mistrust in authority, and I truly believe it’s this kind of collaboration that will save young lives.
Faron Paul is an anti-knife crime campaigner and CEO of Faz Amnesty, who survived two life-threatening knife attacks and now does vital work in helping young people hand in knives. He also acts as a mentor to young people caught in the vicious cycle of carrying knives. Faron uses social media to raise awareness of the consequences of carrying knives. The surrender van being driven across the country will be fully purpose-built to ensure it is safe and secure and police officers will be on hand for additional support and security.
Faron Paul, CEO of Faz Amnesty said
The launch of the UK’s first-ever amnesty van is a historic moment — not just for FazAmnesty, but for communities across the country. In partnership with the Home Office, this van allows us to take our mission directly to the people, giving them a safe, secure, and discreet way to hand in offensive weapons. For years, we’ve worked tirelessly to remove knives and other weapons from our streets, and this van is a major step forward in that mission. It’s more than just a vehicle — it’s a symbol of hope, change, and second chances. This is about saving lives, protecting our communities, and breaking the cycle of violence. I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come — and this is only the beginning.
The Home Office has partnered with surrender charity, Words4Weapons, to manufacture these bins. Words4Weapons already have several weapons bins placed across London, Hertfordshire and Sheffield, and help to connect young people with local services to access the best possible help.
The scheme will also include a limited compensation offering for Ninja swords handed in ahead of the ban on 1 August. Any members of the public wishing to surrender a Ninja sword in exchange for compensation will need to safely take the weapon to one of the designated police stations.
Any member of the public found with one of these weapons following 1 August will be breaking the law and could face time in prison.
Sandra Campbell, CEO of Words4 Weapons said
We are proud to partner with the Home Office on what is the most ambitious weapons surrender initiative to date. These bespoke Word 4 Weapons bins will provide communities with safe and anonymous disposal options. Each bin represents a proactive step towards saving lives and helping to restore neighbourhood trust. By making weapon disposals more accessible, we are not just removing dangerous items from the streets but supporting individuals to make alternative choices. We are grateful for the government’s support and pleased to contribute to this vital national initiative.
