At least 1,000 weapons have been surrendered under a British government amnesty launched last month to combat knife crime, as a new ban on ninja swords came into effect.
Overall, knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences recorded last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe.
On 29 July 2024, teenager Axel Rudakubana attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance event in the Southport, killing three young girls and stabbing ten people.
Since then, the UK government has pledged tougher age checks for knife buyers, warned social media firms they could face fines for failing to curb sales and promotion of weapons, and banned zombie-style knives, machetes and ninja swords.
Over the month of July this year, the government urged young people to drop off weapons, including bladed ones, at “amnesty” bins or a mobile van – part of efforts to control knife crime, particularly when it involves youths.
It said at least 1,000 weapons have been handed in.
A mobile van will be deployed at the Notting Hill Carnival in London later this month in response to past knife-related violence by a small number of attendees.
It is unclear whether the “amnesty” bins will stay in place once the month-long campaign comes to an end.
Charities and experts call the government’s efforts a step forward but say they fail to address the root causes.
The UK government has pledged tougher age checks for knife buyers
Britain’s Home Office said that knife-related robberies have fallen in seven highest-risk areas, dropping from 14% of all robberies in the seven highest-risk areas in the year ending June 2024 to 6% in the same period to June 2025.
The ban on buying and selling ninja swords is part of the government’s pledge to introduce Ronan’s Law, named in honour of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was fatally stabbed with a ninja sword in 2022.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the 6% overall annual reduction in knife-enabled robbery incidents is a direct result of targeted police action.
A dedicated police taskforce was set up in October last year focused on seven forces – Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Avon and Somerset and British Transport Police.
These areas had seen a steep rise in incidents between July 2023 and June 2024, accounting for 70% of knife-enabled robbery at the time.
Drones, knife arches and detection dogs are among the tactics being used in an attempt to bring down the number of incidents, with the forces also increasing visible patrols and the number of plain clothes officers on the streets.
The West Midlands saw the largest drop, with a 25% reduction in incidents in the past year. Meanwhile, Greater Manchester saw a 4% increase in incidents in comparison to last year.
Ms Cooper said: “Since day one, we have acted with urgency to turn the tide on knife crime, which destroys lives and devastates communities.”
