Zombie knives, knuckledusters and throwing stars now illegal, even in private

Wiltshire Police are reminding people that a new law makes the private possession of certain weapons illegal.

The updated Offensive Weapons Act 2019 includes prohibitions on zombie knives, knuckledusters and throwing stars. 

Other sections of the act include an updated definition of flick knives to reflect changes in weapon designs, and the banning of private possession of flick knives and gravity knives.

Supt Phil Staynings said: “We welcome any legislation which will assist us in tackling violent crime, particularly where it can help stop young people getting hold of knives or other dangerous weapons.

“While the vast majority of young people in Swindon and the rest of Wiltshire are not involved in this type of activity, we know that it is something which our communities are concerned about and we are continuously working with partners to prevent the small minority becoming drawn into violent crime.”

This is the first part of new legislation, the rest of the act will commence later in the year, and will bring in important developments that will help police address the growing issue of online sales of knives.  The new law will also place responsibility onto delivery firms to conduct age verification at point of delivery.

Wiltshire Police say the introduction of such measures will provide officers with further means to help deter young people from becoming involved in knife possession and knife crime.