Ban on zombie knives sends out important message, says Redditch anti-knife crime campaigner
The ban comes into force next month
An anti-knife crime campaigner in Redditch says the banning of zombie-style knives and machetes is a good starting point for continuing to tackle the issue of knife crime.
From the 24th September, the weapons will be banned under legislation passed by the previous government.
New policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said the ban was the first step in the Labour government's plan to halve knife crime in a decade.
Peter Martin has been teaching people in the Redditch area since 1989 on how to protect themselves, and he started specialising in knife crime after his best friend was stabbed.
"This sends out a message to people that there's no place in our society for this kind of weapon," he said.
"It's just a first step, and I think what we have to do is stop people wanting to pick up these weapons in the first place.
"We don't just want to criminalise our young people, we want to help and support them, and what we provide is diversionary activities in the way of boxing and sport, but also go round doing assemblies in schools and colleges, so there's lots of different approaches needed to combat this problem."
In April Peter opened a new youth community centre in Redditch, aimed at deterring people from becoming involved in knife crime.