Knife crime stays a major problem in our capital, regardless of quite a few efforts to curb the usage of blades on London’s streets.
The weapons utilized in Kelyan’s homicide had been reportedly much like zombie knives, which had been banned within the UK in September 2024. Nonetheless, a BBC investigation in November revealed that long-bladed weapons are still being sold online, defying the nationwide ban. The broadcaster found a number of listings for such weapons, buying two 18-inch machetes for £19.99 every. Different gadgets, together with a 10-inch Defender Xtreme Looking Fight Knife and a 20-inch Fantasy Grasp Cranium Crusher, had been discovered on US and wholesale web sites, priced at £34.99 and £60 respectively.
However what precisely is a zombie knife and is the ban proving efficient?
A zombie blade taken from a Hackney property by police
Waltham Forest Police/PC Ware
A zombie knife is a bladed weapon that has been more and more related to violent crimes and gang-related actions. Impressed by zombie movies, these weapons usually function one clean blade and one serrated edge, designed for chopping and tearing.
They arrive in numerous styles and sizes, usually adorned with graphic designs or textual content — whether or not etched onto the blade or engraved on the deal with — that recommend they’re supposed for acts of violence. Some zombie knives are particularly designed to resemble fight instruments, with options that evoke an intimidating, aggressive function.
Previous UK laws on zombie knives
In 2016, beneath then-Dwelling Secretary Theresa Could, the UK Authorities started engaged on laws to ban zombie knives. Later that yr, legal guidelines had been formally launched, prohibiting the sale, manufacturing, and importation of zombie knives in England and Wales.
Regardless of these early efforts, regulation loopholes continued, permitting some retailers to proceed promoting these weapons. They might bypass the laws by eradicating or altering the knives’ threatening graphics, resembling phrases or designs. This led to conditions the place even when authorities suspected these weapons had been utilized in crimes, police couldn’t seize them from people’ properties as a result of absence of clear proof of their supposed use.
The shortage of stringent enforcement allowed these harmful weapons to stay accessible, contributing to an ongoing cycle of knife crime. This problem continued till stronger, extra complete laws was launched, in the end ensuing within the outright ban on zombie knives in September 2024.
What does the laws launched in September imply?
A brand new definition was outlined in August, categorising zombie-style knives as any bladed weapon over eight inches in size, that includes a plain innovative and sharp pointed finish, together with both a serrated innovative, a number of holes within the blade, or sharp factors like spikes.
In accordance with the Dwelling Workplace, police can now seize sure gadgets with blades, even when they don’t seem to be explicitly unlawful. This helps shut the loophole that beforehand allowed some retailers to proceed promoting zombie blades.
Moreover, the utmost sentence for importing, producing, or offering unlawful offensive weapons, in addition to promoting bladed gadgets to people beneath the age of 18, has been prolonged from six months to 2 years in jail.
Those that manufacture or promote zombie knives can also be topic to authorized motion, with potential imprisonment.
You’ll be able to learn extra concerning the ban here.
