Latest news with #bladed weapons
BBC News
08-08-2025
- BBC News
Hundreds of ninja swords surrendered to Devon and Cornwall Police
Hundreds of ninja swords were handed in to a police force during a month-long and Cornwall Police said it received 287 ninja swords and 56 other bladed weapons in July during a surrender and compensation scheme involving forces across England and Home Office-led project was carried out ahead of ninja swords, defined as being 14-24in (35.5-61cm) from handle to tip with a straight edge blade, being made illegal to own on 1 Insp Kevin Morley, who co-ordinated the scheme in Devon and Cornwall, said he was surprised and delighted with the response the project had. Det Insp Morley said Devon and Cornwall did not have as much knife crime as other areas but he acknowledged there had been "horrendous" incidents in the region."In context, it's not a problem, but one death is one death too many," he said."We have a problem with knife carrying more than knife crime, but what's really important is we don't just sleepwalk into a knife pandemic and we keep the energy going."Police said swords and knives could still be surrendered in bins at police stations, but the compensation would no longer be available. The law introduced on 1 August made it an offence to possess a ninja sword unless a specific legal defence a ninja sword could lead to a prison sentence of up to six months, potentially increasing to two years under new a weapon in public already carries a penalty of up to four years in jail.
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
West Yorks Police receive more than 60 ninja swords in July amnesty
More than 60 ninja swords were handed over to police in a July weapons amnesty, West Yorkshire Police has shared. A total of 81 bladed weapons "of all kinds" were handed over at West Yorkshire Police help desks, or given to officers via other means, during the amnesty (a Home Office scheme), which ran from July 1 to July 31. As per new legislation which came into effect on August 1, it is now a criminal offence to possess ninja swords in private or to manufacture, import, or sell them. Carrying a ninja sword in public already carried a penalty of up to four years in prison. Ninja swords are defined as having a blade length between 14 and 24 inches, a straight cutting edge, and a tanto-style point (angled tip). Possession in private, supply, sale, and importation of ninja swords could lead to a prison sentence of up to six months, potentially increasing to two years, under new measures. Chief Inspector James Kitchen, of Operation Jemlock, said: "We have been very pleased with the response from the public to the July amnesty, and want others who own weapons that are now illegal to hand them in or ethically destroy them ASAP. "We also encourage the public to hand over or destroy weapons that are legally owned but which they no longer wish to possess, to support our efforts to remove weapons that have no other purpose but to harm. "The ban on owning ninja swords was a very welcome change to the law which gives us a much better ability to limit the availability of these dangerous weapons. "We have seen cases locally and nationally where these swords have been used to cause fear and injury, including the 2022 murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, in Wolverhampton, which prompted the national banning of these items. "As a force, we of course support any measure which increases public safety and which can help us get dangerous weapons that can cause serious harm off our streets. "Over July we paid visits to retailers who previously sold ninja swords to remind them of changes to legislation, and will continue to monitor stores and dealers to make sure they comply with the law. 'Persons found in breach of legislation, either through selling these swords or now illegally owning them, face prosecution with a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison." West Yorkshire Police's announcement is available at
