UK Enforces Ban on Ninja Swords as Over 1,000 Weapons Handed In During Knife Crime Crackdown

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A government crackdown on knife crime has seen more than 1,000 weapons surrendered across the United Kingdom, coinciding with the enforcement of a new ban on so-called ninja swords. The Home Office confirmed the figures on Friday, following a month-long amnesty launched in July in response to growing public concern.

Knife crime in England and Wales has surged by 87% over the past ten years, with 54,587 offences recorded in the past year alone, a 2% rise from 2023. These figures place the UK among the countries with the highest knife crime rates in Europe.

The move to tighten laws followed a horrific attack on July 29, 2024, when 19-year-old Axel Rudakubana targeted a children’s dance event themed around American singer Taylor Swift in Southport, northern England. Three girls were killed and ten others injured, making it one of the deadliest knife-related incidents in Britain in recent memory.

In response, the government introduced tougher restrictions, including age verification for knife purchases and the threat of fines for social media platforms that allow the sale or promotion of illegal weapons. Alongside the newly banned “zombie-style” knives and machetes, so-called ninja swords, long-bladed weapons resembling those depicted in Japanese martial arts films, are now prohibited.

Throughout July, the public, particularly young people, were urged to dispose of knives at designated “amnesty” bins or via a mobile collection van. More than 1,000 weapons were handed in. Authorities have announced the return of the mobile van later this month at the Notting Hill Carnival in London, a measure taken in light of prior incidents involving knife violence at the event. However, it remains uncertain whether the amnesty bins will be maintained beyond the campaign’s conclusion.

The Home Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, it reported a decline in knife-related robberies within the seven areas considered most at risk, dropping from 14% of total robberies in the year ending June 2024 to 6% in the year to June 2025.

The ninja sword ban is part of a broader legislative proposal known as Ronan’s Law, named in honour of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was fatally stabbed with such a weapon in 2022. His case prompted renewed calls for action.

Campaigner Martin Cosser, whose son was also killed in a knife attack, told Reuters that addressing knife crime requires more than legislation. He emphasised the importance of recognising the “emotional drivers” that lead individuals, especially young people, to carry knives in the first place.

The latest measures form part of a wider commitment by the government to stem the rise in knife violence through stricter regulation, public education, and targeted enforcement.