Chair renews calls for ban on online knife sales during BBC TV interview

19 June 2024

West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke has renewed his call for a ban on the online sale of knives and machetes in a BBC TV interview.

Rich told viewers of BBC One's Politics Midlands programme, that he also wanted to make it illegal to give the weapons names such as Rambo, ninja or zombie, among many other marketing ploys.

His calls follow the conviction of two 12-year-old boys for the murder of Shawn Seesahai, 19, with a machete in Wolverhampton in November.

BBC TV viewers were told that there were 5,324 knife crime offences in the West Midlands last year and, at 180 offences per 100,000 of population, it’s the highest rate in England and Wales.

Online sales

Rich, who has been a vocal campaigner on knife crime, while emphasising this is only one of a range of measures that needed to be taken, said: “One of our suggestions is a ban on online sales of these weapons.

“If you want to purchase one of these weapons and you have to do it in person, and that would give the control measure of having a hopefully responsible adult person who will see who is getting hold of these weapons.

“We also want to make it illegal to attach descriptors, like ninja, Rambo, and zombie, to the weapons.”

Meanwhile, Rich has cautiously welcomed moves by online shop DNA Leisure to stop selling knives or swords.

'Zombie knives' have become too easily obtained.

DNA Leisure has announced it would stop selling blades after high-profile media reports linked the website to three murders.

Rich said he feared other online retailers would fill the gap left by DNA Leisure as he again called for the government to ban online sales of combat knives, machetes, and other weapons.

“It’s good that they have seen the error of their ways and the reality of what was happening,” he said. “But until the government legislates to ban their online sale it will simply be filled with another dealer.

“We still have big dealers and the gap in the market will just be swallowed up by them until Parliament intervenes.

Human suffering

“Only the weight of the law is going to stop them, because you’ll either get another company moving in, or one of the bigger dealers gets even bigger and makes even more profits out of these tragic cases and human suffering.”

A giant bee made out of seized knives and guns arrived in Walsall this week as part of an anti-violence campaign and will be available for local schools until 22 July.

It is hoped it will be used as an education talking point and a catalyst for discussions about knife crime and the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

Rich said: “We all want to see an end to knife crime and knife violence, and this is a good way of raising awareness and to start conversations with young people.”

Watch Rich on BBC One’s Politics Midlands programme