Ban from September

Britons to hand in knives and machetes

A ban on stabbing weapons will be introduced in the UK on September 24.(Bild: Parad St)

A ban on stabbing weapons is planned in the UK. Citizens who have machetes and so-called "zombie knives" must hand them in at police stations by September 23. Otherwise they could face a prison sentence.

"There is no legitimate reason for such a weapon to be in our homes or on the street," said police state secretary Diana Johnson. Sting guns can be turned in to police between Aug. 26 and Sept. 23, even anonymously.

There is no legitimate reason for such a weapon to be in our home or on the street.

Polizei-Staatssekretärin Diana Johnson

Machetes and "zombie knives", i.e. stabbing weapons with large, ornate blades, are affected. Anyone handing these in before the planned ban would not have to expect any disadvantages, it was said. Failure to do so could result in imprisonment. The ban, which comes into force on September 24, had already been announced by the conservative government of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

In Great Britain, people die time and again in knife attacks, including many young people. Only recently, several young men attacked each other in public with machetes.