A KNIFE amnesty bin has been installed in Harwich after a spate of arrests for knife possession in the town.

The Only Cowards Carry knife bin is a secure drop-off point outside the Park Pavilion in Barrack Lane for all types of knives.

Caroline Shearer, who founded the charity after her son, Jay Whiston, was stabbed and killed at a house party, said any knife is dangerous in the wrong hands.

She said: “We knew there was a need for one in Harwich and we had funding for it. It’s all about the awareness and keeping safe.

“It doesn’t matter if they put their kitchen knives in there as they can’t dispose of them anywhere else. My son was killed with a vegetable knife out of a kitchen - they are all dangerous in the wrong hands.”

The bin is one of a number the charity is installing across Essex with funding from the police, fire and crime commissioner and some councils.

Caroline added: “If you are a parent and find your child has a knife you can put it in the knife bin.

“We’ve had guns, knuckle dusters, death stars and knives concealed in shoes all in our amnesty boxes before.

“We have been doing it for years now and we want every Essex town to be able to have one.

“They can prevent knife crime. People carry knives thinking they are for protection but they aren’t - 90 per cent are used against the person carrying them for protection.”

Only Cowards Carry is hoping its school workshops could be rolled out to Harwich schools to educate youngsters about knife crime.

In October a man in his 30s was stabbed in High Street, Dovercourt.

In November five knives were found in Dovercourt in one day and another found near Station Lane in the same month.

Tendring Community Policing Team Inspector Darren Deex, said: “We are continuing to work with community safety partners to look at ways in which we can reduce violence with injury offences and offences involving the use of weapons, particularly knives, and this is another tactical option to preventing knife crime.

“Having witnessed first-hand the tragic and devastating impact knife crime can have on individuals and families I believe it’s really important to get the message out there that carrying a knife is unacceptable and that this false glamour surrounding gang culture and knives will only lead to misery, prison and tragically at times death.”