Powers to destroy zombie knives welcomed by deputy chair

6 September 2023

Plans to give officers powers to seize and destroy machetes and zombie knives have been welcomed by West Midlands Police Federation deputy chair Jase Dooley.

Jase said zombie knives were used “purely for injury” and said the changes would close a “crazy” loophole that allowed some dangerous weapons to be sold without breaking the law.

Under the plans announced by the Home Office, more zombie-style knives and machetes will be banned and officers will be given more powers to seize and destroy them.

A new offence will also be introduced for possessing bladed articles "with the intention to endanger life or cause fear of violence”.

Types of zombie knives and machetes are now outlawed.

It follows a campaign by West Midlands Police Federation chair Rich Cooke for a ban on dangerous weapons such as machetes and zombie-style blades.

Jase said: “We welcome this. Rich has been pushing this really hard for a year or so now.

“There’s a loophole in the law that said, for it to be classed as a zombie knife, it had to have a cutting edge, a serrated edge and the writing on the side saying zombie knife, which was absolute madness.

“If people were importing fake zombie knives but the writing wasn’t on the side, we couldn’t treat it as a zombie knife and seize it off them as a zombie knife. It’s absolutely crazy.

“Thankfully the Government has seen this now.

“A zombie knife is purely for injury. There’s no other way around it. You don’t use those things for gardening.”

Jase said that tougher punishments for carrying the weapons might put people off carrying them.

He said: “In my opinion, you shouldn’t be allowed to be given cautions for carrying one of these.

“The punishment needs to fit the crime so for me, it should be a straight charge and straight to court.

“There’s no excuse for you to be carrying one of these in a public place.

“If they know the punishment is going to be a charge and go to court and have a criminal conviction, that might start putting them off."

READ MORE: Keeping an eye on high blood pressure