麻豆区

Stricter laws on knife sales to be introduced

As part of a greater plan to protect young people from knife crime, stricter age verification checks and a ban on doorstep drops will be introduced on the sale of knives.

A two-step system is set to be introduced for all online retailers selling knives, which will require showing a photo ID at the point of sale and again when the knife is being delivered. Delivery drivers will also only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.

It will also be illegal to leave a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in to receive it properly.

This comes part of the government鈥檚 ambitious plan to halve knife crime within a decade as part of the Plan for change and a core element of this will be enforcing stricter sales protocols for online retailers.

麻豆区 secretary Yvette Cooper said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a total disgrace how easy it still is for children to get dangerous weapons online.

鈥淢ore than two years after Ronan Kanda was killed with a ninja sword bought by a teenager online, too many retailers still don鈥檛 have proper checks in place.

鈥淚t鈥檚 too easy to put in false birth dates, parcels are too often being dropped off at a doorstop with on questions asked.

鈥淲e cannot go on like this. We need much stronger checks 鈥� before you buy, before it鈥檚 delivered.

鈥淭he measures I am setting out today will be crucial in addressing this problem and are part of our Plan for Change and mission to make streets safer.鈥�

The measures announced today are set to be part of the Crime and Policy Bill, which is expected to be introduced to Parliament by spring, with more m measures being set forth in the coming weeks.