Measures to restrict knife sales have been published by the Home Office, amid concern at lax age checks and online sales by illegal dealers.
A review by the Home Office has identified significant vulnerabilities in age verification processes for knife sales, particularly online, with issues persisting at both the point of sale and delivery. The review revealed that over 2,000 knives were sold illegally by 15 dealers on social media platforms over an 18-month period. In response, the Home Office has introduced several measures, including requiring retailers to report bulk or suspicious knife sales, increasing the maximum jail sentence for selling illegal knives to two years, and mandating photo ID checks at both purchase and delivery. Additionally, a new national police unit will be piloted to tackle online knife sales. The proposals do not include a ban on pointed ends on kitchen knives, as advocated by anti-knife crime campaigner Idris Elba. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the need for stronger action to address the issue, highlighting that current checks for knife sales to children are weaker than those for alcohol or cigarettes.
