New machete legislation must be 'water tight', police warn ministers
Ministers have been warned that legislation banning the sale of machetes must be "water tight" to prevent criminals from finding ways around it.
The Home Office has unveiled plans to ban blades "with no practical use" that are "designed to look menacing" – including types of machete – in a crackdown on surging knife violence.
Police could also be given greater powers to seize and destroy knives, while a public consultation will also look at increasing maximum penalties for possession and sale.
The move has been welcomed by MPs across the region, but police say it will be a "pointless exercise" unless all potential legal loopholes are shut off.
It comes after a campaign by the Express & Star calling for a ban on the sale of machetes, which have increasingly become a factor in violent crime on the streets of the West Midlands.
Walsall North MP Eddie Hughes, who has lobbied ministers over the issue, has backed the proposals. He said: "Now, not only will these dangerous weapons be banned, but police will also be given more powers to seize and destroy some knives, even if they are in a private home."
However, West Midlands Police Federation chair Richard Cooke sounded a note of caution, urging ministers not to make "the same mistake" as it did with a previous ban on zombie knives.
He said: "It is to be welcomed that the Government is looking at new legislation for these types of weapons, but my fear is that if it is not water tight then criminals will find ways around it.
"When people start talking about the 'legitimate' uses of machetes, such as agricultural uses, then straight away the alarm bells start ringing.
"We saw the same with the ban on zombie knives, where all they had to do was get rid of the branding and the same knives could be sold.
"To get these weapons off the streets it is important that the legislation is drafted in such a way that no loopholes exist, otherwise it will be a pointless exercise."
Currently, the possession of machetes and zombie knives is not outlawed unless they feature imagery suggesting they could be used for violence.
The Express & Star's campaign has been backed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Policing Minister Chris Philp, as well as West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford.
The West Midlands has the highest rate of knife crime in the country, with 152 offences per 100,000 population.
