A PERMANENT knife bin has been placed in Middlesbrough Police Station.

The decision follows the success of a recent knife surrender campaign, during which 385 knives and sharp objects were handed in at Cleveland Police's four main police stations in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar and Cleveland.

In the twelve month period up to December 2018, there were 415 knife crime incidents in Cleveland, a reduction of ten per cent on the previous year.

Superintendent Wendy Tinkler said: “With the success of our latest knife surrender, we want to provide a permanent facility for our communities to use and therefore a central deposit site will be maintained at Middlesbrough Police Station.”

Theresa Cave, founder of The Chris Cave Foundation which campaigns against gun and knife crime, said: “I am so pleased to have been involved in the discussions with Cleveland Police and PCC Barry Coppinger regarding the permanent knife bin. I hope that this is the first of many and that there are other Forces follow suit.

The PCC added: “Serious violence is a priority on my agenda and I am very pleased to welcome any initiative that helps in recovering knives and sharp objects removing them from the streets of Cleveland."

The station is open 8am to 8pm on week days.