Raft of new measures in toughest knife crime crackdown yet

A string of stricter anti-knife crime rules have today (February 19) been announced by the Government, with plans to implement them by spring.

The new rules will force retailers to report bulk or suspicious sales to police and increase sentences for selling weapons to children, or illegal blades such as zombie knives, to two years.

This adds to already announced proposals to make knife buyers show photo ID at both sale and delivery as part of a “stringent two-step system”. 

It comes after the publication of a review by Metropolitan Police Commander Stephen Clayman, who found “lethal loopholes”, including how age verification for buying knives online is “a huge vulnerability” at sale and delivery. 

It is hoped that ‘Ronan’s Law’ – which is named after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity – will better protect young people. 
 

Pledge to halve knife crime over the next decade

The new plans will force retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales from happening across social media accounts.

This will only apply to items delivered to residential premises in a bid to exclude legitimate business transactions.

The Government will also increase the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s from six months to up to two years of prison time, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.

This increased penalty will also apply to the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons such as recently banned zombie-style knives.

It comes after Mr Clayman, who was commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to carry out the review last Autumn, identified a current loophole meaning there is more leniency for illegally selling weapons than possessing one.

A new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence will also be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, which will come with a prison sentence of up to four years.

This means that no matter if the weapon in possession is legal or not if there is intent to cause violence, it is a crime.

The Government will also explore through a consultation this spring whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers can sell knives. 

In response to the recommendation in the review of online sales which calls for the creation of a central (national) function to tackle the illegal sales of knives, the Home Office is providing £1m funding to serve as proof of concept for a national central function, known as Operation Athos.

‘Not enough has been done’

The North East, like many other areas of the UK, continues to feel the devastating impact of knife crime – with Connor Brown, Chris Cave, Gordon Gault, Tomasz Oleszak and Jack Woodley just a handful of those who have lost their lives in the region.

Gordon Gault Tomasz Oleszak, Connor Brown and Jack Woodley (Image: CONTRIBUTOR)

The Northern Echo continues to work with victims of knife crime through its Knife Crime Taskforce, which was launched in 2023.

It is used as a place to hold open discussions between those impacted by murder, education specialists, and criminal justice professionals to provide ‘joined-up thinking’.

Many of the measures called for by the task force, including tightening rules around access to knives, knife crime education and tougher sentences, are included in the new Government rules.

Ms Cooper said it is “horrifying” how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online, despite the recent string of tragic cases and the trail of devastation they cause. 

Yvette Cooper

She said not enough has been done to tackle the online market in recent years, which is why the Labour Government has made it an “urgent priority”. 

She said: “We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. 

“I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy. 

“This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.”

Commander Clayman said the evidence from the review clearly demonstrates “just how easy it is for anyone to purchase a knife online”.

He said: ““We welcome the government’s commitment in working with policing and partners to tackle knife crime and these new measures will significantly enhance our response to this.” 

Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust said he was pleased to see the legislation being tightened, adding it was needed to “eliminate the supply of dangerous and intimidating weapons”.

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He said: “These new laws, particularly the focus on reporting suspicious purchases and stronger age verification, will compel retailers to take responsibility for their actions.

“It has been our stated position that a licencing system for retailers is only way to ensure that specialised knives are only sold to those with legitimate and lawful need. 

“A licensing system will ensure that only reputable retailers who comply with the law and prioritise public safety will be able to sell knives”.