A knife amnesty bin is a good place to start for the police and the council in tackling crime, but they could do so much more.

Education of the youngest age groups is the key to tackling knife crime in our communities.

Thankfully in the Maldon district, the problem does not yet seem as severe as in other areas.

To battle against knife crime in Maldon and Burnham, schools must also join forces with Maldon District Council and Essex Police where they can create a programme which will teach children about the devastating effect of knives and what to do to stop the problem.

But for now, a knife bin is a practical start as the authorities try to prevent potentially deadly weapons falling into the wrong hands.