South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner backs ban on '˜zombie knives'

South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner has backed a ban on weapons known as '˜zombie knives'.
Examples of 'zombie knives' which will be banned in the UK. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA WireExamples of 'zombie knives' which will be banned in the UK. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire
Examples of 'zombie knives' which will be banned in the UK. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

Dr Alan Billings said the knives, which will be banned nationally from tomorrow, said they could be ‘lethal weapons’ in the wrong hands.

“Some are quite horrific – with long blades and serrated edges,” he said.

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“They have been too easy to obtain via the internet, sometimes for as little as £10. They glamorise violent behaviour and we need to protect people from them.

“Young people are being photographed for social media and the internet with these dangerous knives and I would urge anyone who knows of somebody who owns such a weapon to speak with them and encourage them to dispose of the knife safely.”

Anyone caught with a zombie knife from tomorrow could face up to four years in prison.

The commissioner’s office said zombie knives could be up to two feet long and have a serrated edge. They are marked in a way that ‘glamorises and emphasises the threat of violence’.

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The knives are designed with ‘blood-like paint’ on the handle and blade and are inspired by horror films and advertised as collectors’ items.

The knives will be added to the prohibited offensive weapons list under section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.