Leeds neighbours have pleaded with people to "use their common sense" after someone dumped a box of knives onto busy street.
Leeds Residents Inner North West (LRINW), a group that campaigns against anti-social behaviour in the city, were conducting a fly-tipping clean up on Friday (July 1) around 11am. Mid-clean up the team found a box of kitchen utensils was found dumped on the a residential street in Buckingham Mount, Headingley.
"Some of these knives that we've seen are sharp enough to skin a crocodile", a spokesperson for LRINW said. "Those knives could get into the hands of nefarious individuals, kids or drunkards and used to cause serious harm."
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The infuriated organisers said this is why they are keen on clearing up Leeds streets of rubbish and fly-tipped items adding fly-tipping can cause "serious threat".
A spokesperson for the volunteers said: "Whilst voluntarily helping to clean some of the mess in one street, this is how many knives were fly tipped outside just one address. These very sharp and dangerous kitchen implements left in public places can be used as very offensive weapons as they pose an immediate and real threat of harm to our communities across Leeds."
"When it's not antisocial behaviour blighting our neighbourhoods, it's environmental issues with waste and fly tipping hazards and then knives inviting danger into our lives.
"Some people have even been daft enough to put knives on display on public footpaths and other knives disposed as waste are finding their way on the footpaths after people trawl through the trash to find treasures. These knives pose a serious threat of harm and danger in our neighbourhoods."
They added: "We urge people to use common sense when disposing of knives in this manner. Furthermore, we need a clear message sending out that fly tipping is unwelcome in our neighbourhoods."
The organisation flagged the issue to West Yorkshire Police, who confirmed a PCSO went round to the house to "have a chat" with the residents about fly tipping knives.
"Obviously I do not want sharp knives lying around on the street where anyone could take them", they added. In an update on Friday after, the Leeds Residents Inner North West team confirmed the knives have now been moved.
A spokesperson added: "The knives outside that particular address were removed and handed over to a scrap metal collector. There will be many more knives still out there yet undiscovered."
Chairman of LPA set up getting a van to clear the rubbish and knives off the street earlier today. The LPA are an independent organisation or association of local independent landlords who have hired these caged vans to help clean up.
"Two ladies from the council enforcement made their way around", the spokesperson added.
"The LPA's lads have been about back and forth from here to the tips loading their caged vans since this morning. The clean up is starting to pick up pace."
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