Police urge ninja sword surrender before ban

People who possess ninja swords are being urged by police to hand them in during a month-long amnesty before it becomes illegal to own them.

People could face four years in prison for having the weapons, 14in to 24in (35cm to 60cm) long, with a tanto-stye point and a possible second blade attached at an angle, from 1 August.

It will be illegal to possess, sell, make or import the weapon as part of anti-knife crime measures under Ronan's Law, named after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, murdered near his Wolverhampton home in 2022.

Det Insp Kevin Morley, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "The reason it's made illegal is it's only really made for one thing - it's made for violence or harm."

• Give up ninja swords before ban, mother pleads

Ninja swords are being added to the list of already banned blades.

Det Insp Morley, the force's deputy knife crime lead, added: "We've seen them over decades on a mantlepiece or used as a display piece.

"But they now no longer could be used as such in a domestic setting, so please surrender it."

He said there had not been "a significant problem with ninja swords being used in Devon and Cornwall" but there had been "some tragedies where people have been caused serious harm by knives and blades".

He added people could surrender the weapons at a police station and there was a compensation scheme of £5 or "potentially more" for people who had a receipt.

People with such weapons could take advice from the police inquiry office section of the force's website for advice to bring them in.

After that, owners could call 101 "and we'll find a way to help you bring them in securely", officers said.

However, they added that, during transportation after an arrangement was made, they should be wrapped securely and not carried "in plain sight".

Det Insp Morley added: "We will identify them when they're on our streets and will take them off and will deal with any offences as we find them."

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