"Machete-wielding" teens fighting on Southend's streets during a night of violence and disorder in the city has sparked calls for tougher laws on dangerous "zombie knives".

 

Chaos erupted in the heart of the city earlier this week with shocking footage showing teenagers fighting with machetes, allegations of open drug use, and more than 500 young people filling the High Street.

The "outrageous" scenes have led to calls for the Government to introduce stronger laws to tackle knife crime and get these dangerous weapons of the streets.

Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Jane Gardner, said: “Knife crime and gangs are a blight on our communities. The outrageous behaviour of the groups who visited Southend on Tuesday night was appalling and it is right the police took the robust enforcement action they did.

“Having been fully briefed by the chief constable I am pleased that this robust approach is continuing with extra officers on patrol and a number of arrests already being made.“

“We need tighter legislation to get these dangerous knives off our streets, especially so called 'zombie knives'. The definition of 'zombie knives' was successful tightened earlier in the year with additional powers for the police to search homes due to be introduced in the Criminal Justice Bill.

“This work now needs to be picked up by the current Government.”

Previous Tory Home Secretary James Cleverly introduced an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill in Parliament earlier this year which would ban the sale of machetes and zombie knives outright and give police greater powers to confiscate them.

Labour also set out plans to ban ninja swords in the King's Speech this month, and said it will introduce “strict sanctions” on senior executives of online companies who illegally sell knives.