A surrender bin for deadly weapons was broken into just days after it was placed in Weston town centre.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary installed a knife surrender bin outside Weston Town Hall following a 52 per cent spike in knife crime across the force area in the past year.
Only days later, however, it was broken into, and the knives were taken.
The blades were swiftly recovered.
The police now hope to bring criminal action to those responsible, they said.
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.
“We are in the process of identifying those responsible in order to bring about a prosecution.”
The police said they were hoping to have the bin repaired and available for use again as soon as possible.
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