Zombie knives and machetes banned

As of 24 September, zombie-style knives and machetes have been added to the list of prohibited weapons in the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Zombie-style is defined as weapons which are over 8 inches in length and often have a serrated edge, spikes or more than 2 sharp points.

NPCC lead for knife crime, Commander Stephen Clayman said: "Tackling knife crime requires all agencies and partners working together, approaching this from a number of different perspectives. Dealing with the accessibility of deadly and intimidating weapons is key and we are doing all we can to reduce how easily they can end up in the wrong hands. Many of these ‘zombie-style’ knives and machetes are clearly designed to intimidate and cause harm, rather than serve any practical purpose, so the ban will support us by significantly stopping their manufacture and overall availability.

"Our fight to remove knife crime from our communities has been further strengthened with the government’s recent announcements and I look forward to leading an end-to-end review of online knife sales. This is just part of the ongoing work and we will continue to work in close partnership with the Home Office, retailers and the third sector to find ways we can bring meaningful, long-term change that will make our streets safer for everyone."

From 24 September, anyone caught with a zombie-style knife or machete could face time behind bars.