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Police are investigating after a knife amnesty bin was ransacked in Weston-super-Mare.

Avon and Somerset Police introduced knife surrender bins in 2016 as part of Operation Sceptre, an initiative to reduce knife crime across the country.

There are now permanent banks in a number of locations across Avon and Somerset, including Patchway, Keynsham and Bristol city centre.

More than 1,000 knives have been handed in over the past few years and police have released photos of some of them.

Earlier this month however, all the knives were stolen from the surrender bin outside the town hall in Weston.

PC Jon Biggins said: “On the evening of March 13, the knife surrender bin in Weston was broken into by a number of people.

“The contents were recovered a short distance away, and the whole incident was caught on CCTV.

(Image: Avon and Somerset Police)

“We are in the process of identifying those responsible in order to bring about a prosecution.”

A police spokesperson added: "Anyone with information should contact us quoting reference 5219058394."

Despite the introduction of knife banks, the force area has seen a huge 52 per cent increase in reports of knife crime in a 12-month period.

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From April 2017 to April 2018 there were 1,835 incidents compared with 1,201 incidents from April 2016 to April 2017, an increase of 634 crimes.

You can find out more about the national knife-crime awareness campaign at knifefree.co.uk or search #knifefree on Twitter.

Permanent surrender bins are in place in the following locations: