LONDON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A complete ban on knives described by a police chief as horrific will come into force in England and Wales this week, Britain's Home Office announced Monday.
The ban on the sale, importation and manufacture of zombie knives will come into effect on Thursday.
The curved knives are inspired by horror films and often sold as collectors'items, but according to police they are now increasingly being carried by criminals.
A zombie knife with a 63-centimeter-long blade was used in an attack last year which led to the death of teenager Stefan Appleton in Islington, London. In April, a 17-year-old teen was sentenced to life in prison for the attack after being found guilty of manslaughter.
The new law will prohibit the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of knives often referred to as 'zombie knives,''zombie killer knives'and 'zombie slayer knives.'
Zombie knives have cutting blades of up to 63 centimeters in length, with a serrated edge and include images or words that glamorize violence.
Anyone caught making or selling zombie knives will face up to four years in prison.
MP Sarah Newton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism, said Monday: "This government will act wherever necessary to cut crime and keep our communities safe. Zombie killer knives glamorize violence and cause devastating damage -- they have no place whatsoever in our society."
Chief Constable Alf Hitchcock, who is spokesman on the National Police Chiefs' Council for Knife Enabled Crime, said,"Zombie knives are absolutely horrific weapons. Police forces are determined to reduce the harm caused by these and all other dangerous weapons. There is no place for knife crime within society and this ban is further commitment to keeping communities safe."
This year, 13 police forces in Britain undertook coordinated action against knife crime, with further weeks of action planned for later this year.
The coordinated response by police so far has resulted in 401 arrests and 2,111 weapons taken off the street. The campaign involved targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers and use of surrender bins where people could voluntarily deposit knives without fear of facing prosecution.
The Home Office says it will will communicate the ban in England and Wales to Frontline border officers, and the Border Force are to be told about the new ban to alert them to enforce the law around the importation into Britain of dangerous weapons, including zombie knives.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in the past year (2015-16) 214 people suspected homicides involved the use of knives or sharp-edged weapons.
