Government's failure to ban zombie knives is a 'betrayal' of youngsters, Sadiq Khan says
28.05.2024 - 09:51
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The Government's failure to deliver legislation to ban so-called 'zombie knives' amounts to a 'betrayal' of the safety of young people and communities, London's mayor has said.
It comes as the national lead for policing knife crime said underage teenagers buying knives online remains 'a really concerning picture' for police, with illegal dealers said to be selling weapons via social media.
Commander Stephen Clayman said earlier this month that forces in England and Wales are keen to cut off the supply of weapons as part of efforts to stop injuries and deaths. Knives are being sold illegally to under-18s via social media channels including TikTok, Snapchat and those run by Meta, he said.
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London mayor Sadiq Khan's comments follow a worrying investigation by the Manchester Evening News that showed fearsome weapons were being sold openly in shops on high streets around Greater Manchester.
In the wake of our findings, two Greater Manchester MPs called for action. M.E.N. reporters were able to purchase a 13-inch knife in Stockport and a pistol crossbow in Bury.
In selling the items, neither shop broke the law, and both Bury and Stockport councils said they had no ongoing incidents or complaints about either business. But the investigation has sparked a debate on whether the law should be tightened to eradicate the sale of concerning weapons, against a backdrop of worrying levels of knife crime across the country.
Afzal Khan, the Labour MP for Gorton who will be competing for the new Rusholme constituency in the July 4 general election, has called for such weapons to be banned. He told the M.E.N: "Knives, machetes and