Knife crime: Know the law
These are knife crime laws in England.
- It is against the law to have a knife in public. Unless the blade is less than three inches and is manually folding.
- Using a knife in a threatening way, even one that can be legally carried, is a criminal offence.
- You must be over the age of 18 to buy a knife. This includes cutlery and kitchen knives. You can buy a knife at 16 if the blade is less and three inches in length and is manually folding.
- It is illegal to carry a knife for someone else.
- Certain knives are completely banned in this country. This includes butterfly knives, disguised knives, flick knives and zombie knives. A full list of banned knives can be found here.
Stop and search
Police have the power to stop and search a person if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect they are carrying a knife. Reasonable grounds might be receiving a report from a member of the public.
Police collect information on people they suspect are carrying knives. This information can be used to target these people.