Zombie knives to be banned from next month after Express & Star campaign
Zombie knives will be banned in Britain from next month after the legal sale of these deadly weapons were first exposed by the Express & Star.
A fine or prison sentence of up to six months awaits anyone convicted of selling, manufacturing, importing, hiring, or lending the horrific blades in this country.
The new law was set to pass through parliament on Tuesday but instead went through yesterday. It comes into force on August 16.
It follows a year-long campaign spearheaded by the Express & Star and taken up by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson.
The weapons, which can be up to 2ft in length and have names such as 'Head Splitter' and 'Decapitator' could previously be bought online completely legally.
Mr Jamieson said: "This is a real achievement and shows what powerful changes PCCs can make.
"Our streets will be safer following this change in the law. With names such as Head Splitter and Death Dagger, no sensible person wants to see 'zombie knives' in circulation and now, after a year of hard work, we will finally see them banned once and for all.
"Strong and swift action here means the sale and importation of these weapons has been outlawed before they became a widespread problem. I am proud of this achievement and welcome the change to the law wholeheartedly."
As Home Secretary, Prime Minister Theresa May said the 'dangerous' weapons glamorise violence and 'have no place on our streets' and pushed forward the move to ban the weapons.
The ease in availability of 'zombie knives' was first revealed by an Express & Star investigation in July last year, prompting Mr Jamieson to launch a campaign to ban the blades.
Our investigation found they could be easily purchased on online retailer Amazon but that there were also more than 1,600 such blades under the brand names of Zombie Hunter or Zombie Killer on the American version of auction website ebay.
Anyone who carries knives, including zombie knives, around on the streets of the UK faces a £5,000 fine and four years in prison if they are caught.
But while police can take action against anyone they find carrying such weapons in the street, until the law change, it was perfectly legal for people to buy them to keep in their homes.
Section 141 of The Criminal Justice Act 1988 will be amended to reflect the law change and the banning of zombie knives.
During his campaign, the Commissioner met with Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey and Home Office Minister Karen Bradley MP in Westminster, pointing out the dangers of 'zombie knives' and their growing prevalence on the streets. He also wrote to then-Home Secretary Theresa May and Amazon UK CEO Chris North, which resulted in security being tightened on the website.
Questions were also tabled in Parliament by local West Midlands MP Ian Austin in February 2016.
Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey MP said: "This is a victory for Labour's campaign to rid the country of dangerous weapons that can kill. David Jamieson should be congratulated for winning a strengthening of the law to ban zombie knives."
