Final call to surrender zombie-style knives and machetes as new law comes into force next week

A nationwide call to hand over zombie-style knives and machetes is drawing to an end, ahead of a ban coming come into force next week.

Police forces across England and Wales, including Merseyside Police, have been participating in the scheme, which runs from 26 August until 23 September 2024.

On Tuesday 24 September, it will be an offence to possess ‘zombie-style’ knives or ‘zombie-style’ machetes. The manufacture, importation, sale, and supply of these items will also be prohibited.

Merseyside Police has received a number of weapons since the start of the surrender on Monday 26 August, and are urging the public to continue to hand in any weapons as the deadline for the new ban draws closer. 

Zombie knives have been banned since 2016 but this new legislation broadens the definition of these style of knives and closes a loophole in the regulation that allowed sales to continue.

Zombie-style knives and machetes are weapons which feature a blade over eight inches long and have either a serrated edge, multiple holes in the blade, spikes, or more than two sharp points.

The maximum penalty for anyone found in possession of a bladed article or offensive weapon, including a zombie-style knife or machete, in a public place is four years in prison. After Monday 23 September, anyone found with a zombie-style knife or machete in private faces a maximum of six months in prison.

Superintendent Phil Mullally, Lead for Knife Crime and Serious Violence said: “This surrender period has resulted in a number of dangerous and offensive weapons now off the streets of Merseyside which cannot fall into the wrong hands.

“With a couple of days to go until the new laws come into force, we want to thank the public for their co-operation and continue to urge anyone with a zombie-style weapon, or any other prohibited weapon, to surrender them safely to a Merseyside police station.

“Once the new legislation comes into force, we will be able to seize any zombie-style weapons we find and prosecute the owner.”

This new legislation supports the force’s ongoing commitment to reducing and disrupting serious violence in Merseyside, which includes uniformed hotspot patrols, using powers such as Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs), executing warrants and deploying targeted operations.

Superintendent Phil Mullally added: “There is no good reason for anyone to own a zombie-style knife or machete. These are dangerous, intimidating weapons that have no place in people’s homes or on our streets.

“We are working proactively to take weapons off our streets, including online spaces where knives are being sold illegally. In July, we charged a 15-year-old boy with multiple offences in connection with the sale of weapons online – he has since been sentenced to a four-month referral order. We have other targeted operations taking place, alongside high visibility patrols to reassure and prevent incidents from happening.”

“Education plays a huge role in tackling knife crime and the work of our Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), safer school officers and wider partners are key to this. In the past five years, the MVRP has engaged with more than 114,000 young people, helping to steer them away from harmful behaviour to themselves and others.

“We know the devastation that knife crime brings and never lose sight of the work that needs to be done. I would urge the public to surrender any eligible weapons before Tuesday 24 September and would ask anyone with any concerns around knife crime to come forward and speak to us, either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers.”

The public can surrender a zombie-style knife or machete at one of 10 General Enquiry Offices across Merseyside.

Main Stations
Open Monday to Friday 10am – 8pm and Saturday 10am – 6pm

• St Anne Street Police Station, Liverpool, L3 3HJ
• Birkenhead Police Station, Wirral, CH41 5EU
• Huyton Police Station, Knowsley, L36 9XU
• St Helens Police Station, WA10 1TG
• Southport Police Station, Sefton, PR9 0LL

Sister Stations
Open Tuesday to Friday 10am – 6pm

• Admiral Street Police Station, Liverpool, L8 8JN
• Wallasey Police Station, Wirral, CH44 1DA
• Kirkby Police Station, Knowsley, L32 8RF
• Newton-Le-Willows Police Station, St Helens, WA12 9BW
• Marsh Lane Police Station, Sefton, L20 5BW

If you have information about someone carrying a knife, or know someone involved in crime, you can report any concerns on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or our social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC.

The public can surrender a zombie-style knife or machete at one of 10 police stations across Merseyside until Monday 23 September 2024. For more information, visit: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/news/merseyside/news/2024/august/zombie-knife-and-machete-surrender-ahead-of-law-change/