‘Zombie knives’ banned in England, Wales after death of 17-year-old

A ban on “zombie knives” goes into effect Thursday in England and Wales, with sellers urging horror movie fans to stock up while they still can.

The amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 will ban the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of knives often referred to as “zombie knives,” which can have serrated blades of up to 25 inches long. Anyone caught breaking the law faces up to four years in prison, the U.K.’s Home Office announced Monday.

The ban comes after a 17-year-old boy was jailed for manslaughter after stabbing another 17-year-old with one of the knives in London last summer, USA Today reported.

Alf Hitchcock, a knife expert with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, told the BBC that zombie knives have “suddenly become very popular as a sign of bravado in gangs.”

“In weapons sweeps we’ve been finding these weapons on the street, hidden in places for use,” he said. “When we’ve seen gang videos being uploaded on to the internet they’ve been bragging about having these knives.”

Hunters Knives and Swords, in Greater Manchester, advertised a range of zombie knives on its website Monday, urging customers to “grab them while you can!” After being contacted by journalists, the company changed its website to say the items were out of stock, The Guardian reported.

The company’s marketing stunt was described as irresponsible by the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, David Jamieson, who spearheaded the campaign to ban zombie knives.

“Promoting these pointless knives is irresponsible and flies in the face of what we are trying to achieve with this ban,” he said, The Guardian reported.

“’Zombie knives’ are monstrous weapons that serve no practical use whatsoever,” he said. “They are being banned because they are dangerous and companies should act responsibly. They are not your average kitchen knife or garden tool: they are pointless, OTT [over the top] weapons that glamorize violence with names such as Head Splitter and Death Dagger. After a year of campaigning by my office, I am glad they are finally being banned.”

Claire Sugden, Northern Ireland’s justice minister, has confirmed she will also take the steps necessary to ban zombie knives in Northern Ireland.