Online retailers selling knives are expected to be made to carry out more rigorous checks on those who buy them in a bid to close “lethal loopholes” and crackdown on knife crime.
Retailers across the UK will be required to report any bulk or “suspicious” knife purchases to the police, as well as carry out more rigorous age verification checks as the jail term for selling weapons to under-18s is set to increase from six months to two years.
The increased jail sentence can apply to an individual who has processed the sale or the chief executive of a company.
A new policing unit backed by £1m funding to monitor for weapons being sold on social media illegally is also being created.
The news comes after a government-commissioned review found “lethal loopholes” in selling knives online, particularly regarding minimum standards for age verification and delivery checks.
The Home Office said the rules come as part of stricter measures being introduced under ‘Ronan’s Law’ following “tragedies where the unlicensed sale of weapons online has led to young people being killed”.
They are expected to come into effect in the spring, following the Crime and Policing Bill.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.
“Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years, which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.
“We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.
“This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.”
No comments yet