The government is further clamping down on zombie-style knives in England and Wales by closing what Home Secretary James Cleverly describes as a legal loophole.
New rules are being introduced to Parliament on Thursday, though they will not take effect until September.
This is the third time ministers have put restrictions on the knives since 2016.
Labour is focusing on a prevention plan aimed at young people at risk of becoming involved in knife crime.
When zombie knives were first banned, in 2016, the government defined them as having a cutting edge, a serrated edge and “images or words on the blade or handle that suggest that it is to be used for the purpose of violence”.
A further definition, added in 2019, covered “cyclone knives”, with two spiralled blades.
But the new law will also ban zombie knives with no threatening images or words, the Home Office says, to stop retailers exploiting this loophole.
Mr Cleverly said: “When I became home secretary, I made an immediate decision to go further – to put forward this secondary legislation to support what we’ve already done to make possession of zombie knives illegal and to close this loophole.”
Amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill will also:
- raise the maximum sentence for the possession of banned weapons – from six months to two years
- give police the power to seize and destroy knives found in homes, if there are reasonable grounds to suspect they will be used for serious crime
Meanwhile, Labour is focusing on a programme of action plans for young people caught with a knife, which could see them subject to curfews, tagging or behavioural contracts. The party first made this announcement at their conference in the autumn.
The Young Futures programme will spend £100m a year on new youth workers in accident-and-emergency departments and community mental-health hubs.
Labour has published a statement of support for its plan from several major charities, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the Scout Association and Girlguiding UK.
At a speech in Milton Keynes, leader Keir Starmer said: “Too many young people are being drawn into squandering their life chances by getting involved in crime.
“Labour will turn this around. We will give young people real support to achieve their potential and stay on track but flout that chance, and they’ll feel the full force of the law.”
In the year ending March 2023, there were just over 19,000 cautions and convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon in England and Wales.
And in about 18% of cases, the offenders were aged 10-17.
- By Callum May BBC News
