What is a zombie knife and are they banned in the UK?
The government introduced new legislation on January 25, 2024 to "close the loophole" on zombie knives, which were first banned in 2016.
But what exactly are these dangerous weapons and why has there been a crackdown on owning them?
What are zombie knives?
A zombie knife is a type of bladed weapon which is inspired by zombie films.
Government ministers have promised to crack down on the knives, whose blades can be up to two feet long.
The weapons can often have serrated edges and words etched onto them, which helps to glamorise violence.
Zombie knives earned their nickname as they mimic weapons frequently seen in horror films, particularly "zombie apocalypse" movies.
They are regularly marketed as collector items.
Coming in bright colours and emblazoned with words like "zombie killer" and "slayer" the large knives look far more intimidating than a normal knife.
Several are sold as "machetes" or "swords" rather than knives.
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On June 1 ,2018, footage emerged of a cyclist using a zombie knife to try and smash the window of a car in an apparent road rage row.
The driver was forced to run for his life as the cyclist battered his car with the foot-long blade in the confrontation in Croydon, South London.
Are zombie knives banned in the UK?
The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 made it illegal to bring into the UK, sell, hire, lend or give anyone a zombie knife.
On August 29, 2023, the Home Office announced they are banning more of the weapons and introducing a new offence for those found in possession.
The maximum sentence for importing, manufacturing, possessing and selling the weapons will be two years.
Policing minister Chris Philp said: “We must stop the thugs who carry dangerous weapons.
“Zombie-style knives and machetes serve no other purpose but to inflate criminal egos and endanger lives. There is no reason to own these types of weapons.”
The original ban defined zombie knives as having a cutting or serrated edge and "images or words that suggest that it is to be used for the purpose of violence" which people were using as a loophole to get around the ban.
The new law, brought into action on January 25, 2024, also banned zombie-style knives with no threatening words or images.