Hainault residents who found a knife “hidden” under a recycling bin are shocked after police told them to dispose of it themselves.
The Met Police said officers won't automatically attend to collect a knife unless there is clear evidence that it has been used.
But residents in Clinton Crescent, who found the knife yesterday morning (Wednesday, October 10), are adamant that it had been hidden on purpose and the police should have come out to collect it and test if it had been used.
Steve Shefford said: "We are all shocked by this. It could have samples of blood on it. I thought more of the police.
"We will just go down there ourselves with it, but no one wants to touch it. We have had a few break-ins recently - it could be related.
"It's just a joke. It's ridiculous. This needs to be taken seriously."
A spokesman for the Met Police said: "We do take knife crime very seriously, however if the public find a knife in the street or in a park and there is no evidence to suggest the knife have been used in a crime, the person can bring the knife to a police station or they can dispose of the knife at the local authority recycling tip."
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