Welsh affairs lead welcomes crackdown on knife crime

31 August 2023

Police Federation Welsh affairs lead Nicky Ryan has welcomed a crackdown on knife crime which will see more zombie knives and machetes taken off the streets, increased police powers to seize and destroy them and longer sentences for those caught carrying them.

The Home Office said the new legislation would be introduced “when Parliament allows” following a public consultation.

It will see the maximum sentence for the importation, manufacturing, possession and sale of such weapons increased to two years and the introduction of a new offence of possessing bladed articles “with the intention to endanger life or cause fear of violence”.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show there were more than 1,500 offences involving a knife or blade in Wales in the year ending in March 2023.

There will be longer sentences for those caught carrying zombie knives like these.

South Wales Police recorded the highest number with 628 knife offences, Gwent Police recorded 372, North Wales Police 300 and Dyfed Powys Police 228.

Nicky said: “Violent crime and knife offences are a scourge on society and there is no place for these deadly weapons in our communities.

“No one needs to carry a knife of this kind in public and so we welcome the move to outlaw them which many of our members might feel is long overdue.

“I hope the Government will back up this new legislation by throwing its full support behind the the front line police officers who face the threat of violence every day.

“And I also hope the courts will play their part in tackling this menace by sending out a clear message that anyone caught in possession of an illegal knife will face the toughest possible sentence.”

The possession of zombie knives - defined as a blade with a cutting edge, a serrated edge and images or words suggesting it is used for violence - is already illegal.

Under the new measures, the definition will include any bladed weapon more than eight inches long with a plain-cutting edge and sharp pointed end that also has either a serrated cutting edge, more than one hole in the blade or multiple sharp points like spikes.

Policing minister Chris Philp said the newly-prohibited weapons “serve no other purpose but to inflate criminal egos and endanger lives” and there is “no reason” to own them.

He said: “That is why we are banning these knives and making sentencing more severe, so our communities can be reassured that this violent criminality will face the punishments they deserve, and lives will be saved.”

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