Sheffield knife bin petition gets huge public backing

The petition was founded by Abigail Chappell after 22-year-old Fahim Hersi, who died after being attacked at Valley Centertainment, became the seventh person stabbed to death in the city this year.

'I made this petition because Sheffield is becoming worse by the day with knife/weapon crime,' she said.

'So hopefully with a little help from the Sheffield community we can all come together and if not stop at least slow the attacks happening and try to make Sheffield the place it used to be!'

She claims a knife bin would enable people to surrender weapons anonymously, without being monitored by CCTV or facing any consequences.

'How many more lives have to be taken for us to realise it's time to come together as a community and help put a stop towards this?' she adds.

She claims the blades which are surrendered could be added to the Knife Angel statue, which was created from 100,000 knives which had been handed into or seized by police forces across the country.

Since being created two weeks ago on the Change.org website, the petition, which is addressed to Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss, has been signed more than 1,050 times.

Among the signatories is Kelsey Burgess, who said: 'Sheffield used to be a safe place when I was growing up and now you feel like you have to watch your back when you go out because of all this recent crime.

'It is stupid and uncalled for, and so many people have lost their lives already. Do we not understand we only have one life and we should make the most of it? Put down the knives.'

Sarah Mitchell wrote: 'Someone my son knew was stabbed and killed. Such a waste of life.'

A knife bin was installed in Burngreave, outside the Rock Christian Centre on Handley Street, in April.

South Yorkshire Police last month made 44 arrests and seized 68 blades during a week-long crackdown on knife crime.

The Star has contacted the force regarding the petition but has yet to receive a response.

To view the petition, click here.