AS NEW legislation on ‘ninja swords’ comes into force, residents across the West Midlands are bring urged to hand the weapons in.
The law follows years of campaigning by the family of Ronan Kanda who was killed in Wolverhampton in June 2022, in a case of mistaken identity, by two teenagers in possession of a ninja sword.
The government defines a ninja sword as being between 14 inches and 24 inches with a primary straight cutting edge, a secondary straight cutting edge, a blunt spine, and either a tanto style point or a reversed tanto style point.
The government announced earlier this year that the new legislation would be named in his memory.
Before any such new law is enforced, a national Surrender and Compensation Scheme will run to allow people to hand over their weapons without prosecution.
The surrender scheme ahead of Ronan’s Law will run until July 31.
The surrender scheme will allow people to hand in swords that fall within the new legislation at police stations, in return for an application for compensation.
Ronan’s Law outlaws the manufacture, supply, sale, possession and importation of ninja swords, from August 1.
As part of the surrender, 43 designated police stations across England and Wales are accepting swords, including nine in the West Midlands, while there are 28 Home Office funded surrender bins in partnership with Knife Bin Locations – Word 4 Weapons, including two new sites in Wolverhampton and Coventry.
West Midlands Police said: “Our dedicated Project Guardian taskforce, which works to reduce knife crime across the West Midlands, are also working with specific retailers around bulk surrender and compensation during this month.
“As part of our ongoing work to reduce knife crime across the West Midlands, we have a range of resources on our dedicated website.
“The website features the story of Ronan, whose tragic murder has been the catalyst for this change in legislation. His sister, Nikita, and mum, Pooja, work with us to bring Ronan’s story into schools and colleges across the West Midlands to try and encourage young people to stop and think before carrying a knife.”
If you know someone who’s carrying a knife or involved in knife crime, should contact police on 101.
Locations to surrender a sword or knife include Coventry Central police station, Little Park Street from 8am to 10pm and Solihull police station, Homer Road between 8am and 10pm.
