Zombie-style knife ban

From 24 September 2024, it will be illegal to possess, sell, hire, manufacture, import, or supply zombie-style knives and machetes across the UK. The expansion of The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988 will see these dangerous weapons added to the list of prohibited offensive items. 

Jon Yates, CEO of the Youth Endowment Fund, has welcomed the new legislation, stating: 

“Zombie knives and machetes have no place in our society. They exist solely to intimidate and cause harm. Banning them is a crucial step toward making our streets safer.  

“It’s time to hold accountable the companies and individuals who put these deadly weapons in our children’s hands. For too long, they’ve profited while their products instil fear and endanger young lives.  

“Many children carry knives out of fear for their safety, and the widespread sharing of zombie knife images and videos on social media only fuels this dangerous cycle. Enforcing this ban can help cut off the supply and, hopefully, reduce demand.  

While this ban is an important step, Jon stresses that it is not a complete solution to knife crime: 

“However, we must be realistic — banning zombie knives won’t end knife crime overnight. Many children feel trapped, carrying knives out of fear, peer pressure or exploitation. We need to offer targeted support and show our children that carrying a knife isn’t the answer.  

“To effectively reduce knife crime, we must focus on what works. This means offering therapy and mentorship to vulnerable children and providing swift, corrective support for those caught with knives.”  

Evaluating the Impact of knife surrender schemes 

Ciaran Thapar, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Youth Endowment fund shared his thoughts on the impact that banning zombie and other “statement” knives will have for young people with evidence from the YEF Toolkit.

Within the YEF Toolkit there are only a small number of evaluations on the impact of knife surrender schemes on violent crime, and therefore is insufficient evidence to calculate an impact rating. However, there is more evidence on interventions that can tackle underlying causes of violence, and can be adopted across multiple sectors, these include:  

Estimated impact	approaches	evidence quality
HIGH (30%+ less violence)	Cognitive Behavioural Therapy	1 2 3 4 5
	Social skills training	1 2 3 4 5
	Trauma-specific therapies	1 2 3 4 5
MODERATE (10%-30% less violence)	Hot spots policing	1 2 3 4 5
	Mentoring	1 2 3 4 5
	Multi-Systemic Therapy	1 2 3 4 5
	Stop and search	1 2 3 4 5

We believe that addressing knife crime requires a multifaceted approach. By using evidence-based methods, such as those outlined in our Toolkit, we can focus resources on what works best to protect young people and make our communities safer.