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Home News New Knife Sale Rules Fast-Tracked After Southport Murderer Bought Blade Online

New Knife Sale Rules Fast-Tracked After Southport Murderer Bought Blade Online

by Celia

New restrictions on buying knives online are being fast-tracked following the tragic Southport knife attack. People attempting to purchase knives will now face stricter age verification processes.

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Axel Rudakubana, who pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls last July, bought a knife from Amazon at just 17 years old, despite laws that prohibit the sale of most knives to those under 18. The government is now introducing measures that require online retailers to verify the buyer’s age through two types of identification. These will include submitting a valid identity document, like a passport, and recording a live video to prove age.

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Amazon has stated that it takes the sale of age-restricted items, including knives, “extremely seriously” and has launched an investigation into the matter.

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The new age-check rules are part of a wider review of online knife sales, led by Commander Stephen Clayman from the National Police Chiefs’ Council. This review had initially been due at the end of the month, but the government has now fast-tracked the changes to be included in the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, set to be introduced to parliament this spring.

Currently, websites like Amazon ask customers to enter their birth date when purchasing knives, and they are told that “proof of age and a signature will be required on delivery.” However, the new measures will go further, adding more robust checks to prevent knives from falling into the wrong hands.

The government has already pledged to reduce knife crime by half over the next decade and has announced new penalties for tech company executives who fail to address illegal knife sales on their platforms.

Knife crime has increased significantly in recent years, with serious incidents in England and Wales rising by 54% from 2016 to 2024. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in an opinion piece for The Sun, criticized the ease with which children can access deadly weapons online. He called the situation a “total disgrace,” referring to the Southport attack as an example of how vulnerable children are to online purchases of dangerous items.

Rudakubana, who had a history of carrying knives and prior violent offenses, was able to order the murder weapon online without any effective checks. He was also known to authorities for his violent behavior, having been referred to the government’s anti-extremism program, Prevent, on three separate occasions between 2019 and 2021.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the ease with which Rudakubana obtained the knife as “shocking.” She called for stronger action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Amazon reiterated its commitment to age verification, stating that it uses trusted ID verification services to check buyers’ details and requires

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