The Home Secretary announced today that the Government will introduce a new Offensive Weapons Bill, in order to tackle serious violence.
Key facts: This will form part of the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, which will be launched tomorrow. The new Bill will be brought forward within weeks, and will mean:
· Banning the sale of the most dangerous corrosive products to under-18s and making it a criminal offence to possess corrosive substances in a public place.
· Tough new restrictions on online sales of knives, stopping them being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online.
· Making it illegal to possess certain offensive weapons in private, including zombie knives and knuckle-dusters.
Why this matters: To tackle violent crime effectively, robust legislation and powerful law enforcement must be in place. That’s why we are introducing this new Offensive Weapons Bill, including a new offence of possessing acid in public without good reason, preventing sales of acids to under-18s, and stopping knives being sent to people’s homes when bought online.