When figures released earlier this year (for example here in the Metro newspaper) showed a rise in violent crime in Londonm much of which is knife crime, many Londoners, including myself, wanted to see some action.
So, I am pleased to see the government announcing today that it will consult on restricting the sale of dangerous knives further.
The main area of concern is the sale of knives on the internet. It is already illegal to sell a knife over 3 inches to an under 18 but it seems to be proving too easy for some people to by-pass this.
Why does someone need to order a “weapon” over the internet?
I can understand why a cook wants to walk into a shop and pick a suitable knife for the kitchen and they should have every right to do so, but why does someone need to order a “weapon” over the internet and have it delivered to their door in order to avoid anyone seeing their age?
In future, if new rules are introduced, you will be required to go to a store to prove your age first.
Just cracking down on online sales of knives of course is not enough on it’s own. We must also remain focused on the causes of crime too but if one new rule can save a life then it is worth it. It’s not just the victims and their families who are devasted by a knife attack but it impacts the entire community so we need to keep tackling this.
For the Home Office announcement – https://www.gov.uk/
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