Anti-knife campaigner collecta 100+ knives off Essex streets
Today (23 September) is the last chance to hand in zombie-knives and machetes
Last updated 23rd Sep 2024
A woman from Chelmsford, who lost her grandson to knife crime, has collected more than 100 knives from the streets of Essex, to hand in as part of a month-long campaign.
Today is the last chance to hand in zombie knives and machetes for compensation, as part of the national amnesty campaign to prevent knife crime.
Essex police told us, from 1st January until 31st July 2024, there's been 131 zombie-style knife or machete offences.
In the year of 2023, that number was 172. Nearly one quarter of those offences (44) were carried out by someone under the age of 18.
Tomorrow possessing 'zombie-style' knives and machetes will become illegal.
They've been banned since 2016, but a loophole - which saw knives without offensive writing or stickers permitted - allowed sales to continue.
Julie Taylor's been campaigning against knife crime since her grandson, Liam, was fatally stabbed in 2020.
She told us, no-one should have to 'bury their grand-son or child' like she did.
"I lost my grand-son Liam on the 31st January, 2020. Since that day our lives have changed forever.
"We constantly campaign against knife crime, campaigning all over the country. We've fundraised for bleed kits and put them out all around the country too.
"We collected 115 knives this month, some from parks, some from people giving them to me. Getting those off the streets was a huge relief."
Mrs Taylor says asks people to continue handing in excess knives in amnesty bins.
"Please let's get all these knives off the streets."