A nationwide call to hand over zombie-style knives and machetes has been launched by the UK government, before these dangerous weapons are banned from our streets.
From 24 September, it will be illegal to own zombie-style knives and machetes as they will be added to the list of dangerous prohibited items already banned, including zombie knives, butterfly knives, Samurai swords and push daggers.
Ahead of the new ban coming into force, anyone who has one of these weapons is being urged to hand them over – safely and legally.
This scheme will be run at police stations across England and Wales for four weeks between 26 August and 23 September, without repercussions for surrendering these potentially dangerous knives safely.
Individuals can also anonymously dispose of these weapons using safe, surrender bins, by contacting their local police, council or an anti-knife crime charity to find out about alternative options, other than police stations, in their area.
After 24 September, anyone caught with a zombie-style knife or a machete faces time behind bars.
Policing Minister, Diana Johnson said: “Too many people have access to weapons that can lead to devastating, life-changing consequences. There is no legitimate need for a weapon of this kind to be in our homes or on our streets.
“That is why we will continue to make sure the tightest restrictions are in place to limit the availability of these lethal weapons. Implementing a ban on zombie-style knives is just the first step in our ambitious, dedicated plan to halve knife crime within a decade, and will closely be followed by making ninja swords illegal.
“It is absolutely crucial that members of the public come forward and safely hand in these weapons. We are offering people the chance to do the right thing – to help make our streets safer, prevent further loss of life and save so many futures.
“We cannot do this alone, political, policing and community leaders must work together to bring the knife crime epidemic to an end and offer a better future for our young people.”
Participating police stations are spread across the country, and people should contact their designated police station first to get advice on how to package up any weapons and bring them into the station.
This scheme is just one part of the government’s pledge to halve knife crime in a decade. Next steps will include further bans, stronger rules to stop online sales, and tough action to stop young people being drawn into crime.
Zombie-style knives and machetes will be outlawed under legislation laid today. A surrender and compensation scheme will launch in the summer
Dangerous zombie-style knives and machetes will be banned under new legislation to take these weapons off our streets and keep young people safe.
Under the measures, first announced by the Prime Minister last year and laid before Parliament yestrday, it will be illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport these zombie-style knives and machetes.
The government is urging anyone with one of these dangerous weapons to voluntarily hand it into a knife surrender bin, before the official surrender and compensation scheme is launched in the summer.
This will get these knives off our streets as soon as possible, while giving people in possession an opportunity to hand them in without legal implications. The full ban will come into in force in September, after which anyone in possession of one of these knives may face time behind bars.
During this time, the government will work with police, communities and partners to ensure there is public awareness of the surrender scheme, which have been implemented in the past to accompany knife bans.
This is just one part of a package of measures being introduced by the government to strengthen existing knife crime laws, which are already among the toughest in the world. It is illegal to carry any knife in public without good purpose, carrying a sentence of 4 years in prison, and, in 2016, the government banned zombie knives, whilst cyclone knives were banned in 2019.
Since 2019, police have taken 120,000 knives off our streets through stop and search and other targeted police action. Knife crime has gone down 5% since 2019 and hospital admissions for under 25s involved in stabbings has fallen by 25%. Violent crime is also down 51% since 2010.
Building on this record, the Criminal Justice Bill will go further by increasing the maximum sentence for the possession of banned weapons from 6 months to 2 years, while anyone caught selling knives to under-18s, including online, will also face 2 years behind bars.
Police will also be given new powers to seize and destroy knives found on private premises if there are reasonable grounds to suspect the blade will be used in a serious crime. Previously, police could not seize knives found during a search on a property, even if they had suspicions of criminal use.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Knife crime continues to take precious lives away, and I am determined to put an end to this senseless violence.
“We must stop these dangerous knives ending up on our streets and in the hands of criminals. We cannot let them be sold to children, and we must give young people a way out of violence.
“That is why I have expedited the ban on zombie-style machetes and we are increasing the maximum sentence for selling knives to under 18s. We will continue to invest in youth services that have prevented thousands of violent injuries.”
Zombie-style knives are just as dangerous as traditional zombie knives, however, they do not have the same distinct images or threatening wording that incites violence.
The police have identified that zombie-style knives are increasingly used in criminality, emerging on the back of the 2016 ban when some retailers exploited this loophole to keep selling these dangerous weapons but evade the law. The measures being introduced today will put an end to this technicality.
In line with previous knife bans, a surrender and compensation scheme will be introduced from the 26 August, and further guidance on how this will operate will be published in June.
Steel Warriors Head of Operations Christian d’Ippolito said: “Steel Warriors welcome the steps being taken by the government to strengthen its tough knife crime laws to keep dangerous knives off our streets. Weapons like these should not be available to young people, they have no place in modern society and should not be glorified.
“At Steel Warriors we believe that lives should be built by steel, not destroyed by it. We melt down confiscated knives and recycle them into outdoor gyms, we then provide free community classes to transform the lives of young people affected by crime, violence and social exclusion, giving them the confidence they need to create positive futures.”
During a visit to Kent Police yesterday, the Home Secretary saw first-hand how Home Office-funded youth violence prevention projects are helping steer young people away from violent crime.
Recent independent evaluation has shown that the government’s Violence Reduction Units, in combination with hotspot policing patrols, have prevented an estimated 3,220 hospital admissions for violent injury since 2019 in areas where the programme operates.
The Home Secretary also met with Yemi Hughes, the mother of a knife crime victim, Idris Elba and members of his ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ campaign to discuss action being taken on serious violence and what more can be done to tackle the issue.
The legislation laid in Parliament will amend the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
