Watch: Idris Elba backs blunt kitchen knives to stop knife crime
Credit: X/@BBCr4today
Idris Elba has called for kitchen knives to have their ends rounded off to protect victims of the UK's violent gang crisis.
Speaking ahead of the release of his documentary on knife crime that will air on Wednesday evening, the 52-year-old actor said there needed to be 'innovative' solutions amid a surge in knife crime that has pushed it back to near-record levels.
The Luther star said that while the Government's ban on the sale of zombie knives was a positive step in tackling the issue, he also believed ninja swords should be outlawed and suggested kitchen blades have their sharp point removed.
'I do think there are areas of innovation that we can do. Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them, that sounds like a crazy thing to say. But you can still cut your food without the point on your knife, which is an innovative way to look at it,' he said. 'In a country in crisis, yes, let's look at that.'
Britain's knife crime crisis has seen a total of 507 children treated in English hospitals for knife injuries in the 12 months to April 2024, according to the latest figures analysed by the Youth Endowment Fund.
The number of knife crimes reported by police forces across England and Wales passed 50,000 in the year to June 2024, for only the second time since records began. In London, they hit a record high of 15,859, up 16 per cent on 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics.
A ban on the sale of pointed kitchen knives has been backed by the Church of England, judges, top trauma doctors and psychiatrists, the police and victims as they argue that it would make life-threatening injuries far less likely.
It follows a five-year study in Edinburgh which found that 94 per cent of the sharp instruments used in homicides were kitchen knives.
Axel Rudakubana, the Southport triple killer, used a kitchen knife he bought via Amazon for his murderous attack last July.
Campaigners say sharp knife points were only used historically to pick up food because forks had not been invented and it was a time when they could be carried openly.
Sharp points remain only as an anachronistic hangover from 18th century Britain during which forks became commonplace.
Elba's new documentary sees the British actor spend 12 months exploring the reality of the UK's knife crime crisis.
During the programme, he met with victims' families, police officers and teenage offenders for a deep dive into the problem.
In an effort to tackle the issue, a ban on zombie knives and machetes came into place in England and Wales in September, making it an imprisonable offence to possess, sell, manufacture or transport them.
Elba said it was 'massive step in the right direction', but believed schools could intervene in young people's lives earlier to stop them 'going towards a dark place'.
The actor highlighted disciplinary action like school exclusions as an opportunity for teachers to pay more attention to children in their pre and early teens.
Elba said: 'The big thing that I learned in the room [when he visited Feltham Young Offender Institution for the show] is that they're not big and scary in the way that it's portrayed; gangs, balaclavas, black jackets.
'These were people, young people, still grasping on to their development, it was sad. It just felt like they were just banged up behind there, and no-one cares.
'Of course, they're being looked after there, but it did feel like, 'oh, wow, we just turned our back on them', because we're expecting them to come out of there loved and ready to get back into society. It was really educational for me, and sad.'
Elba backed moves by the Government to crackdown on knife sales. Last weekend ministers announced new measures including a ban on doorstep sales and two-step age verification for online purchases – to prevent under 18s buying knives online.
The actor said tech companies and social media needed to take more responsibility over the issue: 'When it comes to big tech, there needs to be accountability within their own policies, and their policies need to be educated and driven by what society deems is right or wrong.
'It's great that you're a big company, you make a lot of money, got lots of social media followers, that's fantastic. But by the way, we don't like knives, we're not going to tolerate you advertising knives to young people, please.
'We don't like porn, we don't like this, we don't like bully dogs, it can be done in a society, and in my opinion, where democracy leads, it takes a village.'
Ministers are planning new laws to fine tech executives up to £10,000 if they fail to remove content promoting, advertising or allowing the sale of banned knives.
Elba said there were 'indicators of hope' already in the fight against knife crime and praised the under-the-radar intervention schemes that were 'really working'.
The BBC film, Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis, sees Elba meet Sir Keir Starmer, before becoming prime minister, who said that his party would commit to halving knife crime if elected.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Boston Globe
33 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
‘Màkari' Is a Sun-Dappled Italian Mystery
The show is based on a series of books by Gaetano Savatteri and comes from some of the same writers as 'Detective Montalbano,' which is also set in Sicily and has a similar aesthetic. Technically, Saverio is not a detective and thus does not have a partner. Practically, he totally is, and his partner is the excitable Peppe Piccionello (Domenico Centamore), who ropes him into schemes and side gigs and frequently offers philosophical musings and sauce-making guidance. Saverio also immediately strikes up a romance with a local waitress (Ester Pantano), though his reputation as a womanizer precedes him. 'Màkari' is not quite as snappy as the Caribbean-set British procedural 'Death in Paradise,' but it follows in that show's sandy footsteps. As in 'Paradise,' it's best for both the show and the viewer not to dwell too much on the loss of human life but instead to revel in those gem-blue waters and clever deductions. 'Màkari' has all the requisite real estate porn and some jazzy cars, too; every rock is sun-dappled, every table set with stylish yet unfussy serving ware. Let's brainstorm theories of the crime while bobbing romantically in the ocean, why don't we. Advertisement There's a languid ease to everything here, a comfy absence of real tension, and even the pace of the installments is relaxed. Although there are only four per season, each is just under two hours long, which can feel leisurely, a way to unlearn one's internal 'Law & Order' clock of when suspects should be confessing. This article originally appeared in .

Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Osceola sheriff's top director fired, denies knowing of illegal gambling scheme
The Osceola County Sheriff's Office's executive director has been fired following Sheriff Marcos Lopez's arrest on state racketeering charges, after having served him for years as his top advisor during his election campaigns and later as part of his administration. The Sheriff's Office confirmed Nirva Rodriguez's termination days after her employee profile was scrubbed from its website and following questions from news outlets about her status with the agency. On Monday, the agency refused to answer inquiries about her firing and that of Ruben De Jesus, who was described as being a 'civilian employee' after also having worked on Lopez's campaigns. In a statement shared with the Orlando Sentinel, Rodriguez said her firing 'is a separate matter' from Lopez's arrest and suspension. She added: 'I have no knowledge of the allegations against the former sheriff and I am not involved in that investigation.' Rather than explain their ousters and De Jesus' role there, an agency spokesperson told a Sentinel reporter to instead file a public records request. A message seeking comment from De Jesus — a special deputy and a former board member of the agency's Police Athletic League, according to his Linkedin profile — was not immediately returned. While De Jesus held a lower profile following Lopez's election in 2020 and his reelection last year, Rodriguez's ubiquitous presence in the community both in person and online was a hallmark of Lopez's administration, especially on its Spanish-language social media accounts. There, she co-hosted a weekly live show with Lopez called 'Aquí No, Charlatanes' — which means 'Not Here, Charlatans' in English — a roundup that highlighted the agency's initiatives and arrests and is named after a moniker Lopez used to refer to alleged criminals. She would also appear in weekly segments with Lopez on WIPR in Puerto Rico called 'Los Más Buscados,' or 'The Most Wanted,' featuring suspects being sought by law enforcement. 'I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served the citizens of Osceola County, and I am proud of the good work that was accomplished during my time at the agency,' Rodriguez's statement said of her time in the Sheriff's office. 'I feel blessed to have been a part of the time and to have had the chance to make a positive impact in the community. I appreciate the experience and wish the agency and its employees all the best in their future endeavors.' Neither Rodriguez nor De Jesus have been accused of wrongdoing in Lopez's case, but the decision to fire them is a sign that the office is cleaning house of Lopez's allies under interim Sheriff Christopher Blackmon, the Central Florida region chief at Florida Highway Patrol appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis following Lopez's arrest. No other firings have been announced while the Orlando Sentinel awaits fulfillment of its request for separation notices at the agency. Meanwhile, Lopez remains suspended from office while he awaits trial. A charging document released by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accuses Lopez and at least four others of operating an illegal gambling empire in Osceola and Lake counties. Lopez, prosecutors said, made as much as $700,000 in cash from the scheme, which began months after he announced his run for sheriff in 2019 until just recently. That's expected to be detailed in a 255-page affidavit referenced in court Friday by the Office of Statewide Prosecution which remains under seal. Lopez was arrested by federal agents Thursday and, as of Monday, remains in the Lake County Jail on a $1 million bond. He pleaded not guilty to the state charges. Further charges and co-defendants, Uthmeier said, are pending and could include federal crimes.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thunberg, activists in Israeli custody after delivery attempt to Gaza
June 9 (UPI) -- The Israeli government announced Monday that the boat crew of civilians that included Swedish activist Greta Thunberg it intercepted attempting to transport humanitarian supplies to Gaza will be returned to their home countries upon arrival in Israel. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or MFA, reported across its social media platform that the vessel, identified as the "Madleen" by the nonprofit Freedom Flotilla Coalition organization, or FFC, that launched it, is being brought to an Israel port. The MFA refers to the craft as a "selfie yacht," and has confirmed that Thunberg is aboard, in addition to other "celebrities," but did not name them. The FFC listed all their names last week after the announcement that the boat was already on its way "with life-saving aid, to break Israel's illegal siege of Gaza and establish a people's sea corridor." The MFA also stated that the passengers aboard the Madleen have been supplied with sandwiches and water, and that the "tiny amount of aid that wasn't consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels." It also posted a photo of Thunberg Monday, apparently about to receive food and bottled water from someone dressed in military apparel. "Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits," the image was captioned. Another person who was aboard the Madleen European Parliament member Rima Hassan of France, who posted to X late Monday morning that "the crew of the Freedom Flotilla has been unlawfully detained by Israel for more than 14 hours" since Israel commandeered the vessel. Thunberg had released a video via her social media pages late Sunday that alleged "If you see this video, it means we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel." German citizen Yasemin Acar, also aboard the Madleen, posted a video of herself Sunday night to Instagram in an unspecified situation, but was wearing a life jacket and apparently had at least one arm raised behind her head as sirens wailed in the background and an amplified voice that seemingly said "Don't be afraid" and "Stay where you are" in English could also be heard." The FFC posted a separate message to Instagram Sunday which purported that "drones dropped unidentified chemicals on the Madleen. Immediately after, our peaceful volunteers were rammed and intercepted before Israeli forces boarded the vessel. We lost all contact with them seconds later." An updated post from the FFC Monday called out what it has described as an "illegal attack" by Israel on the Madleen. It has been widely reported that the Madleen has been brought to Israel's Port of Ashdod, and that Sweden's foreign ministry has confirmed it is in touch with Israel over Thunberg, and will stand by should the need for consular assistance be required.