Havering's first knife bin, at Harold Hill's Central Park Leisure Centre, took 1,152 knives and blades in a year. A second opened at Romford Town Hall in August.

People in Havering have dropped 1,152 knives and bladed items into the borough’s first knife bin, in Harold Hill, in its first year. The council published the count on 24 September (Havering Council, 24 September 2026).

The bin went into the car park of Central Park Leisure Centre in June 2025. It lets anyone get rid of a knife or other blade safely and without giving their name. It stands next to the clothes bin in the car park.

Where the two bins are

A second bin went in outside Havering Town Hall in Romford in August 2026.

Bin Where exactly Installed Paid for by
Harold Hill Central Park Leisure Centre car park, next to the clothes bin June 2025 The Home Office, via Word4Weapons
Romford Town Hall car park, Main Road, next to the recycling bins August 2026 OpenView and Romford BID, via Word4Weapons

Both bins came through Word4Weapons, the knife bin scheme the council names as the route for the funding. Its own website did not load when we checked on 27 September, so the details above are all from the council.

The council has not yet published a count for the Romford bin.

What the council says the number means

Councillor Terry Brown is Havering’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection and its Anti-Knife Champion. He said: “It is great news to hear that the knife bin in Harold Hill has helped get over a thousand knives and other bladed items taken off our Borough’s streets.”

He also warned against reading the total as a crime figure. “The high number of knives already surrendered does not equate to the level of crime on the streets,” he said.

That is a fair caution. The bin is anonymous, so nobody knows who used it or why. The council does not say what kinds of blade went in, or how many came from outside the borough.

What the police figures show

Police recorded 182 weapons possession offences in Havering in the 12 months to July 2026, up from 117 the year before. Those are our own counts from police.uk open data, published in our Havering crime figures story.

Possession offences are mostly found by officers during stops and searches, rather than reported by the public. So a rise can reflect more searching, as well as more people carrying weapons. Neither figure can tell you whether the bin has changed how many knives are carried.

What it means for you

  • You can use either bin without giving your name. The council encourages anyone with a knife or other weapon to “do the right thing and surrender them”.
  • The council has not published opening hours for either car park bin. If you need to check, contact Havering Council before you go.
  • If you know someone is carrying a weapon, you can tell Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, call 999.

Councillor Brown’s message to residents was simple: “please do not carry knives.”