Knife amnesty in the North runs into problems
A three-week knife amnesty has gotten under way in the North but already it has run into trouble.
Unlike England, Scotland and Wales, knife-owners have been asked to deposit their weapons in civil recycling sites rather than police stations.
There are about 1,000 knife-related crimes in the North every year and the amnesty is part of a government and police campaign to reduce injuries.
The Stormont justice minister David Hanson said the legal age for purchasing a knife is to be raised from 16 to 18 years.
Penny Holloway, whose son Thomas, was killed near his north Belfast home last August, said it was an important first step.
The SDLP and Sinn Féin have both welcomed the move while saying it was no alternative to tackling sectarian violence.
Unions, however, are angry they were not consulted about knives being disposed at recycling sites and not police stations.
