A major crackdown on online knife sales is set to take place this spring, with tougher new laws aimed at stopping the ease with which weapons are bought online, following the horrific Southport attack.
Retailers will now be required to report any suspicious bulk purchases of knives to the police, while the penalty for selling bladed weapons to under-18s will rise dramatically – from a mere six months to a hefty two years behind bars.
The government has also announced a new £1 million policing unit, dedicated to monitoring and tackling the illegal sale of knives on social media platforms.
The new rules, collectively called Ronan’s Law after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda who was tragically murdered near his Wolverhampton home three years ago, are set to come into force under the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
The changes come as part of a wide-reaching review led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), which highlighted how the online knife trade has spiralled out of control.
Among the new measures, all online retailers will be forced to conduct stricter ID checks for customers both at the point of sale and during delivery.
There will also be a new criminal offence for ‘possession with violent intent,’ with a prison sentence of up to four years, even if the weapon is legally owned.
The Home Office has stated that these changes are long overdue. Currently, the rules around the sale of knives online are more lenient than those for alcohol, tobacco, or even scratch cards.
The new rules, collectively called Ronan’s Law after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda (above) who was tragically murdered near his Wolverhampton home three years ago, are set to come into force under the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill
A judge lifted reporting restrictions which prevented the media from naming the killers, Prabjeet Veadhesa, left, and Sukhman Shergill, right who murdered Ronan Kanda
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her horror over the ease with which young people can obtain deadly knives online: ‘It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online.
‘Children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are devastated.’
Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, has been a tireless campaigner for tougher knife crime laws since her son’s tragic death.
She has spoken out about how the online sale of weapons played a pivotal role in Ronan’s death, adding that the new legislation would have made a difference.
‘The murderers would not have been able to get the weapons they did if the new rules had been in place,’ she said.
The new law is welcomed by the Kanda family, but Pooja has made it clear that much more needs to be done to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
Her daughter, Nikita, spoke on Radio 4, demanding more accountability and stricter measures to ensure knives are not so readily available to young people.
Commander Stephen Clayman, who led the NPCC review, was clear in his condemnation of the current system: ‘It is bizarre that it’s easier to buy a knife online than it is to buy paracetamol,’ he said.
Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, has been a tireless campaigner for tougher knife crime laws since her son’s tragic death
The ban on zombie knives and machetes came into place on September 24, making it an imprisonable offence to possess, sell, manufacture or transport them. Pictured is a knife surrender bin outside Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex
Pooja (above outside Downing Street) has spoken out about how the online sale of weapons played a pivotal role in Ronan’s death, adding that the new legislation would have made a difference
Zombie knives are named after the knives often used by characters in zombie films. Pictured: A zombie knife recovered by police
‘Retailers need to be held responsible for what they are selling, and law enforcement must be able to track who is buying knives.’
The government also intends to tackle knife dealers on social media platforms, with tech companies being required to remove content selling knives within 48 hours.
This comes after shocking revelations that some sellers, like Southampton’s Stefan Petrescu, used Instagram to market knives and swords to buyers openly discussing violence.
Petrescu, who used social media to sell hundreds of knives, was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to knife-related offences.
Authorities discovered he had purchased over £3,000 worth of knives, which he marketed with chilling videos, including one where he wielded a machete to cut open cans while blasting drill music.
Despite these efforts, there’s no sign of the knife crime epidemic slowing. The Ben Kinsella Trust reports 262 murders involving knives in the year to March 2024, with 57 of the victims under 25 years old.
