MP MATT Western has thrown his support behind the Offensive Weapons Bill in the House of Commons.
The Bill would extend to all zombie and ‘Rambo’ knives, machetes and ninja swords and would cover the sale, marketing and possession of those weapons, according to Helen Hayes MP in a speech in Parliament.
Zombie knives are defined as any bladed weapon over eight inches in length 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.
Across England and Wales, there were 282 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in 2021/22, the highest total since 1946.
Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that, in the year ending September 2023, there had been 383 serious offences involving a knife in Warwickshire.
Following 13 stabbings in Warwick and Leamington since 2019, local MP Matt Western has echoed calls for serious and urgent action on knife crime and the sale of weapons such as zombie knives.
Mr Western said: “I am proud to support this important Bill on an issue that is devastating too many families up and down the country, including in our towns and villages.
“These weapons are a danger to our communities, and it is disgraceful they are still available for sale amidst all the pain and devastation they have caused to so many lives.”
This was the government’s third crackdown on zombie knives since 2016 as they seek to close what they have referred to as ”loopholes”.
The legislation has been called “too little, too late” and has been accused of going “nowhere near far enough” by shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper MP who has called for stronger action amid what she referred to as “an epidemic”.
