Nicola raised a number of incidents involving knives across West Bromwich East today with the policing minister and issued an impassioned plea for a ban on 'zombie knives' to be brought forward as quickly as possible.
In her question, Nicola referred to the appalling attack on two police officers in West Bromwich town centre back in 2021. The attackers were ultimately arrested and the bravery of officers, who made a recovery and were honoured for their efforts, helped stop another tragedy from taking place.
Nicola said: "In 2021, two police officers were attacked with machetes in West Bromwich town centre. In the same year, a 19-year-old boy was stabbed and killed in Great Barr. In 2022, a teenager from my constituency was stabbed on his way to college in Birmingham.
"While the Minister said we have already banned the sale of zombie knives, that has not stopped people purchasing these dangerous weapons, so I thank the Government for taking the next steps to close the loophole. Will this change be brought forward as soon as possible?
The Minister, Chris Philp, responded: "The change certainly will happen as soon as possible. Some of it requires primary legislation, but other elements require secondary legislation, and we are definitely going to do that as soon as we can. As for the sale of these knives, once the Online Safety Bill passes Parliament—I hope very soon—the sale of these knives via online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace and Amazon will also be prohibited, addressing my hon. Friend’s point about sales."