The British Government has said machetes and zombie-style knives with no practical use will be banned and police will have more powers to seize them in a bid to crack down on their use in devastating street violence.
This announcement was made on Wednesday in a statement through the Home Office stated that under this measures, machetes and knives that are designed to look intimidating and threatening, known as zombie- style knives, will be made illegal.
Adding that the maximum penalty for the importation, manufacturing, possession and sale of these newly proscribed weapons will also be increased from six months to two years, as will the maximum penalty for sales to under-18s.
It stated further that police will also be given new powers to seize and destroy knives found on private premises if there are reasonable grounds to believe 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”, it added.
In addition, the Home Office will introduce a new offence for possession of bladed articles with the intention to endanger life or cause fear of violence.
And will ask the Sentencing Council to consider amending sentencing guidelines for the possession of bladed articles and offensive weapons so these are treated more seriously than possession of a non-prohibited weapons.
Reacting to this development, the Policing Minister, Chris Philp said, “One life lost to knife crime is one too many, and we must do all we can to stop the vile thugs who carry dangerous weapons from their campaign of intimidation and violence.
He added that, “Zombie-style knives and machetes serve no other purpose but to inflate criminal egos and endanger lives. There is no reason to own these types of weapons.
“That is why we are banning these knives and making sentencing more severe, so our communities can be reassured that this violent criminality will face the punishments they deserve, and lives will be saved”.
Under a new definition included in these measures, a zombie-style knife is any bladed weapon over eight inches in length with a plain cutting edge and sharp pointed end that also has either a serrated cutting edge, more than one hole in the blade, or multiple sharp points like spikes.
The measures come as the government responds to a public consultation launched in April this year, which carefully considered responses from individuals, manufacturers, retailers and trade organisations that rely on bladed items.
Specific exemptions will be made for legitimate articles such as objects of historical importance and those that are hand-made, in order to avoid negative impacts on antiques market and British-made industries that rely on top-end, high-value blades that are highly unlikely to end up in the hands of criminals.
The new measures are part of the govt’s drive to rid communities of serious violence, and follows the removal of 100,000 knives, offensive weapons from the streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action since 2019.
The government’s Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) are bringing together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area by delivering early intervention and prevention programmes to divert young people away from a life of crime in the 20 areas worst affected by serious violence.
They have reached over 215,000 vulnerable young people in their third year of funding alone, with the government investing £170 million into their development.
