Southend West MP thrilled as her campaign helps lead to banning of zombie knives
Anna Firth has campaigned also for increased sentences
Southend West MP Anna Firth has said she is "delighted" at the government's decision to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, as well as increasing the maximum sentence for possession from six months to two years.
The MP worked to get the campaign to government and in just 8 months, the new measures are now being put in place.
How one massive zombie knife sparked change
Anna Firth MP spoke with Greatest Hits Radio about her campaign, and told us is all began because of one zombie knife in particular: "Between Christmas and New Year last year Southend police got in touch with me cause they've gone round to a house in Leigh-on-Sea where a 17 year old had ordered a massive zombie knife, machete online and had it delivered to his door."
The knife was a long, heavy machete, with a huge point and a very sharp cutting edge.
"Because that knife had got no graphic images on the blade or on the handle, the police did not have an automatic right to remove that from a 17 year old in a private place. Now luckily the packaging, because it was Christmas between Christmas and New Year and the bins hadn't been collected, luckily the external packaging was found and that had some some graphic images on it, so they had the power to take that knife away, but not in the normal run of events, of course, that wouldn't be the case."
Being discontented with the loophole in the law for the dangerous weapons, the Essex MP then went to the policing minister, and her campaign grew from there.
What are the changes being bought in?
The Government's measures will be giving police extra powers to seize these weapons, as well as banning zombie knives and machetes.
The sentence for those with these items is also increasing.
Anna Firth MP said: "By making it completely illegal to have any of these very dangerous knives for which there is no practical use, you know, nobody needs to have a zombie knife in their home on the streets, and by giving the police extra powers to take these, confiscate these knives and also upping the sentence for people found in possession of these dangerous knives, we are obviously going to make our community safer.
"The sentence for possession of one of a knife for which there is no practical use is moving from six months, which is almost, you know, just a slap on the wrist in the Magistrates Court, to two years in front of a Crown Court judge. So that is a very significant change, which is going to have a deterrent value and is also going to make our streets, parks and sea front safer."
Changing attitudes is vital
Whilst the campaign's success is not something to glaze over, there are ongoing fights to continue to reduce knife crime, as well as continuing to recognise the success of the changes of sentencing and seizing of the weapons thanks to the Southend West MP's campaign.
Many feel that changing the attitudes amongst young people, and shifting the dynamic is something the can aid the journey to a knife-Crime free county.
Anna Firth told us: "I've been into schools and been horrified by a whole class of 15 year olds in which only one told me that they had not seen a knife in a public place.
"So you know, it's no surprise that fear of being stabbed is the number one fear amongst young people here in Essex for a second year on in a row, so we have to tackle this and I'm delighted that we are tackling it."
Going into schools and colleges to educate young people is something the MP does, alongside police, to ensure that they're able to get the messaging across and to try and let young people know they're safe if they don't carry a weapon on them.
"We explain to the young people that look, you know, the police have the resources they need to catch people and to take these instruments off people, these dangerous weapons. So don't go out with a dangerous weapon yourself.
"Every summer I write to all of my headmasters and headmistresses to say please warn the children on the last day of term. Don't go out taking anything silly. Don't don't grab any sort of, you know, sharp instrument knife or anything of that nature and and all go off down to the sea front to have fun.
"It's about changing behaviour and it's about all of us playing our part, you know it's about Headmaster's warning the children you don't take out a knife, it's about police going into schools and saying and saying, we are doing everything and these are the dangers and you mustn't have knives and it's about parents as well. Making sure that you know your young teenagers are not going out carrying knives.
"So we can all play our part."
Success for the Southend West MP
For Anna Firth MP, it's a brilliant success to have the Government listening to a campaign that was raised less than a year ago, to fight such a cause.
It's something the Southend West MP feels proud to have achieved.
"This is a massive milestone as a new MP who took this to the Policing Minister and the Home Secretary at Christmas, you know I couldn't be more delighted that in eight months I have secured my first major law change that's going to make Southend safer."