New laws make owning ninja swords illegal
The blades can still be surrendered anonymously
New laws on the possession of ninja swords in Wiltshire and across the UK come into effect from today.
The knives – which are characterised by blades between 14 and 24 inches and one straight cutting edge with a tip like a chisel – are now banned under Ronan’s Law.
Last month saw a period of amnesty, where the weapons could be surrendered without consequence.
T/Superintendent Paul Saunders told Greatest Hits Radio: “It will effectively be a criminal offence to be in possession of it unless you have a defence for that now under the Criminal Justice Act. There are some defences which are standard defences that you can have but they don't apply to all the different types of weapons.
“So, you do run the risk. If it gets reported that you're in possession of it, that could lead to police action and police investigation in relation to that.”
While, according to T/Supt Saunders, activities involving ninja swords is not “hugely significant” for the county, he stressed that it is important to address knife crime as a whole.
“It is access to weapons which could be used to cause somebody harm that is the concern in relation to this.
“If there's a legitimate reason and a lawful defence for somebody having a ninja sword, then that can be established with a normal course of investigation.
“But what we want to do is reduce those opportunities where something like this could be used in a criminal matter because the consequences of knife crime as we know can be absolutely devastating.
Ignorance is no defence
“This obviously isn't a knife, it's a bit bigger than that, but it's the same principle.“
The legitimate reasons for owning a ninja sword or other banned blade include, but are not limited to, the blade being more than 100 years old and therefore an antique or it being for filming purposes.
If you are still in possession of a ninja sword, you can surrender them safely by using one of Wiltshire Police’s knife amnesty bins or by taking them to a police station.
These options can also be used to hand in any other dangerous blades, including zombie knives and machetes.
However, all blades must be transported safely.
“It has to be contained in a manner that allows it to be transported without causing any alarm or distress. The last thing we want is that someone is handing this in legitimately, but someone thinks that someone's walking down the road with a sword in their hands”, explained T/Supt Saunders.
“So, wrap it up or place in a sealed box or bag. It must not be carried openly at any time.
“And please don't take it out in the police station until you're asked to do so. Again, the last thing we want is someone producing a sword in a police station or a public place which could be misinterpreted.”
He also added that while it is “entirely up to the public” if they want to surrender their blades, “ignorance of the law is no defence to the law”.