Ban the sale of deadly blades: Express & Star knife petition surges past 5,000
More than 5,000 people have backed an Express & Star campaign calling for a review into the sale of deadly knives.
The change.org petition has received support from senior police officers, politicians and community leaders, who want to see a change in the law on killer blades.
The campaign was launched after an E&S investigation found zombie-style knives were being sold in town and city centres for less than £14.
Shopkeepers are allowed to sell the knives – which have blades of up to 20 inches – by exploiting a loophole in the law.
Under current legislation knives must feature logos or words suggesting violence to appear on the Government’s ‘banned from sale’ list.
It comes as Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced the latest Government crackdown on weapon sales in the wake of the nation’s bloody knife crime epidemic.
Under the Offensive Weapons Bill all knives will have to be collected from a shop rather than delivered to a home address, and a person will have to show ID proving they are at least 18 to buy them.
Knife crime has risen steeply across the West Midlands and is at a seven-year record high in terms of people caught in possession of knives and guns.
There have been several recent high profile incidents involving youngsters stabbed to death, including eight-year-old Mylee Billingham in Walsall and schoolboy Keelan Wilson in Wolverhampton.
Among those who have backed the petition are Wolverhampton’s three MPs, Pat McFadden, Eleanor Smith and Emma Reynolds.
Wolverhampton South East MP Mr McFadden said today: “I commend the E&S for organising this campaign.
“I think these knives are horrific and can see no good reason why these kind of knives should legally be on sale. Local MPs intend to press the Government further on this issue.”
West Midlands Police chief constable Dave Thompson has supported it, along with West Midlands Police Federation chairman Richard Cooke.
Mr Thompson said he felt that many young people were unaware of the dangers of carrying knives and welcomed steps to stop blades from falling into the wrong hands.
Wolverhampton and Dudley council leaders Roger Lawrence and Patrick Harley have also backed the campaign.
The E&S is asking Mr Javid to review legislation regarding the sales of knives, swords, machetes and other weapons.
Supporters of the campaign have argued that new powers to block the sale of knives should be brought in alongside more stringent sentences for people caught in possession of weapons.
The Government brought in a ‘two strikes’ rule in 2015, whereby anyone convicted of a second offence of knife possession faces a minimum prison sentence of six months.
However, according to the Ministry of Justice, four in 10 repeat offenders are spared jail.
Courts have the option of using a legal loophole to avoid locking up repeat offenders, if they can show it ‘would not being the interests of justice’.
Sarah Jones, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary group on Knife Crime, said: “If the Government is going to talk tough on knife crime with a two strike policy, it should at least be making sure it is implemented.”
