Thames Valley Police arrest man found with Zombie knife just minutes after ban came into force

Thames Valley Police says officers in Oxford arrested a man found with a Zombie knife just minutes after new legislation came into effect banning them.

Police were called to an address in the city at 12:22am this morning (24 September), when the knife was found during a property search.

A 29-year-old man from Oxford has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article in a private place and affray, and he remains in police custody at this time.

The arrest relates to an investigation into an affray, which occurred in the city on 29 August, police said.

A ban on owning zombie-style knives and machetes came into force at midnight, following a four-week amnesty scheme where owners were encouraged to hand the weapons into police, local authorities or knife crime charities.

The ban is part of efforts to reduce knife crime, with campaigners including actor Idris Elba pushing for the large blades to be outlawed.

The Government plans to also ban ninja swords in the future.

Official figures show that knife crime rose by 7% in England and Wales in the year to December 2023, compared with the previous 12 months, but the total 49,489 offences recorded remained below pre-pandemic levels.

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