'This is needed more now than ever' – Two more knife bins unveiled in Walsall after surge in violence

The bins were the latest to be unveiled by the family of James Brindley who was stabbed to death as he walked home from a night out. The 26-year-old was knifed in the heart just 400m from his parents' house in Aldridge in 2017.

James's father Mark Brindley attended the unveiling of the two latest knife bins, saying that were "more necessary now than ever" following increased knife violence in Walsall in recent days.

On Saturday, 29-year-old Akeem Francis-Kerr was stabbed to death at Valesha's nightclub.

Then at 8pm last night, a man in his 20s was taken to hospital after being attacked by a group with a machete.

The James Brindley foundation set up in his name has worked to install knife bins around the Walsall borough to make the streets safer.

The latest two sit at the top of Sprout Road, Caldmore, and near the Alexander Road entrance of Palfrey Park, also in Caldmore.

The unveiling also comes after Stourbridge MP, Suzanne Webb, took to the House of Commons to raise concerns on the issue of knife crime, saying: "I don't want another family in my constituency talking to me about their grief and loss of a child due to knife crime."

Ms Webb visited the House of Commons where she revealed that knife crime in the West Midlands had risen by 469 per cent since 2012, with around 7,257 incidents per year.

Mr Brindley said: "These bins are even more important now really if that was even possible, they are there so that people can dispose of bladed weapons, but also so that we can interact with these communities.

"So realistically this isn't just a knife bin, this is a means of gathering information and engaging with young people in local communities and finding solutions to the disease that is knife crime."

Each bin will feature a QR code that allows those who handed in the knives to communicate anonymously with the foundation so they can get the services they need.

Mr Brindley added: "It's only been a few weeks since these bins have started to be installed, while we were launching the bin in Aldridge, someone walked past and put a knife in the bin for it to be surrendered.

"This shows that there is pretty much an immediate need for these bins. It's like someone has ripped a plaster from an open wound and put salt in it, seeing the death of this young man on Saturday has taken myself and Beverley back to that moment six years ago when our son was murdered.

"It's a constant sore and constant pain, and seeing these deaths amplify that because we know exactly what the family, friends and community are feeling, the pain doesn't go away, it never goes away."

Unfortunately, the new bin on Alexander Road was vandalised within 24 hours - being painted completely blue during the night.

Mr Brindley added: "It was a complete shock, we installed these bins last night and we covered them with builder's bin bags, someone has come along and taken them off and painted it almost completely blue.

"Apparently there is a bit of a craze going around of spraying almost anything completely blue, and we have no idea why, it just shows that we have a lot of work to do with these bins and these communities."

The new bins will mark the second and third to be unveiled in the Walsall area, with the James Brindley Foundation looking for more donations to help fund the final five bins.

Mr Brindley added: "We are still looking for funding for two more bins, but we are now also looking for funding to help keep these bins in use and in top condition.

"Each bin takes around £1,000 per year to maintain and run, so 12 of these potentially life-saving bins can take around £12,000 per year in total."

Anyone looking to donate to the James Brindley Foundation and the knife bin campaign can donate through their phone by texting streets followed by the donation amount to 70480.

Alternatively, more ways to donate can be found on the James Brindley Foundation website.