'We need to get on with zombie-style knife amnesty'

Anna Firth (right) campaigned to ban the weaponry in the last Parliament

A former MP who helped bring about a change in the law to ban so-called zombie-style knives says the government must get on with a summer amnesty scheme.

Anna Firth, who lost her seat as the Conservative MP for Southend West and Leigh at the election, previously lobbied the government to close a loophole in the law.

The Home Office confirmed the amnesty would start at the end of August.

Mrs Firth also said she was left “horrified” by scenes in the city on Tuesday night when gangs of youths were filmed using these type of weapons on the seafront.

Banned under new legislation

“We are seeing an epidemic of knife crime on our streets. The legislation is there, the powers are there. The government needs to get on with it," she said.

In January, Braintree MP and then-home secretary James Cleverly announced zombie-style knives and machetes – which have a sharp edge on one side and a serrated edge on the other – would be banned under new legislation.

While possessing the large bladed weapons in public is illegal, a loophole means they can be kept and sold if they do not have images depicting violence on their handles.

A change to the Offensive Weapons Act closes that loophole and will come into effect next month, but Mrs Firth said a promised summer surrender scheme should be introduced by the government now.

"It seems to me the [current] home secretary hasn’t picked this up. We cannot allow this to escalate further," she said.

The zombie-style knife ban is set to come into effect in September

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We know more must be done to tackle knife crime, which devastates lives. That is why it is one of this government’s priorities to keep young people safe and take back our streets.

"A surrender scheme will enable those who have zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes to hand over their weapons."

They added that the scheme would start on 26 August 26 and run until 23 September, before the ban came into force on 24 September.

Further arrests after city disorder

Meanwhile, Mrs Firth questioned whether enough was done to stop youths from going to Southend this week with weapons.

Referring to her success in getting funding for Essex Police to buy knife poles, similar to airport security wands, she said: "The knife detector poles are specially designed to monitor people arriving by train to stop anyone carrying weapons before they reach our streets.

"If the knife poles weren’t being used then we need to know why."

On Thursday, Essex Police said eight people arrested on suspicion of offences including possession of offensive weapons had been further arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.

The force declined to respond to Mrs Firth's comments on using knife poles in relation to groups travelling to Southend.