A LEADING campaigner has joined a Southend MP to back Government moves to tackle the scourge of knife crime by getting zombie-style blades off the streets.

On Wednesday, Home Secretary James Cleverly introduced an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill in Parliament that will ban the sale of machetes and zombie knives, so-called for their resemblance to those used in horror films.

However, the long-promised ban on zombie-style blades will not come into force until the autumn, a year after it was promised by Rishi Sunak.

Anna Firth, MP for Southend West, took a lead in spearheading the campaign for a ban on the weapons over the last 12 months. 

She said she was “delighted” a legal loophole which allowed the sale of zombie knives has now been closed. 

A 2019 ban specifically prohibited knives which had threatening words or pictures on them, but manufacturers simply removed them and were allowed to continue their sale. Now, tighter measures will ban the knives altogether.

New laws will also give police greater powers to confiscate them, in a bid to reduce knife crime.

Ms Firth said: “This measure builds on the UK’s existing knife laws, already among the toughest in the world, and will operate in conjunction with a surrender scheme.

“Police will also be given new powers to seize and destroy knives found on private premises if there are reasonable grounds to suspect the blade will be used in a serious crime.

“The official surrender and compensation scheme will be launched in the summer, but before then, anyone with one of these dangerous weapons should voluntarily hand it into a knife surrender bin, without legal implications.

“The full ban will come into in force in September, after which anyone in possession of one of these knives will face time behind bars.

“No one should lose their life, their autonomy, or their family to these terrible weapons.”

Ms Firth is “incredibly grateful” for the efforts of Essex Police, police commissioner Roger Hirst, and campaigner Julie Taylor.

Julie, whose grandson Liam was stabbed to death in 2020, has helped install more than 250 lifesaving emergency bleed kits throughout Essex, including 22 in Southend.

She hailed the ban as “absolutely brilliant news”.

Julie said: “This gives police more powers than they’ve ever had. It gives you a bit more hope. I know the pain other families have experienced.”

As part of her efforts to reduce knife crime, Julie goes into schools all over the country to share the impact it has had on her family.

Julie added: “Education is paramount in preventing knife crime. It should be in the national curriculum. Knives do far more harm than good.”

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, 48,716 offences were recorded in the 12 months to September 2023, a five per cent rise from 46,367 in the previous 12 months.

Downing Street said the long lead-in time for the ban was the correct approach.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It is right that changes to law are analysed and scrutinised through Parliament.

“I don’t think people would want to avoid scrutiny of our laws. At the same time, we are giving people in possession of these knives the opportunity to hand them in before these legal implications come into force.”

“That’s what we did with a previous ban implementing a surrender and compensation scheme.”