More than 80,000 knives and weapons taken off UK streets

The Home Office announced on 13 November 2026 that more than 80,000 knives and other dangerous weapons have been taken off UK streets since the General Election. That is around 100 a day. The total comes from voluntary surrenders, seizures by police and Border Force, and intensified activity in knife crime hotspots and against criminal gangs.

Weapons surrendered in August

The announcement includes new figures for a month of intensified action in August 2026. As part of the Home Office surrender arrangements, 3,811 knives and weapons were handed in. Of these, 3,049 were deposited in "Word 4 Weapons" surrender bins and 762 were handed to the "FazAmnesty" mobile surrender van. In Yorkshire, eight new static bins were installed, and in August alone they collected 583 weapons.

Robbery and knife crime

Since June 2024, knife-enabled robbery has fallen by 24 per cent in the seven forces most affected by the problem. They are the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Avon and Somerset, and British Transport Police. The forces work together through the Knife Enabled Robbery Group, led by the Home Office, to share intelligence and tactics aimed at offenders and hotspots.

Across England and Wales, knife crime has fallen by 11 per cent since the General Election, equivalent to almost 6,000 fewer offences. Knife homicides are at their lowest level in 35 years. Hospital admissions following assault with a sharp object have fallen by 16 per cent, including a 19 per cent fall among under-25s.

Action in hotspots

The government is rolling out a £26.25 million Knife Crime Concentrations Fund, which covers more than 230 knife crime hotspots. It pays for extra patrols, targeting of prolific offenders, better CCTV and work with young people at risk of violence. The "No Place for Knives" awareness campaign was launched in Birmingham, Croydon and Westminster.

In April 2026, the National Knife Crime Centre was launched. It is led by the National Police Chiefs' Council and funded by the Home Office. According to the announcement, it has identified 186 grey-market weapons sellers and reported 183 social media accounts suspected of promoting or selling dangerous weapons.

Sarah Jones, Minister for Policing and Crime, said the results were encouraging but that the government cannot be satisfied while lives are still being lost. The government has pledged to keep pushing until it delivers its promise to halve knife crime.