Law enforcement, major retailers, online marketplaces, trade
associations, Trading Standards, the Advertising Standards
Authority and campaigners were brought together across 2 summits,
held today (8 October 2026) and hosted by Policing and Crime
Minister , to identify practical steps to
strengthen safeguards around the sale and online marketing of
knives.
Irresponsible advertising of knives, particularly online, has
been highlighted by campaigners as being a key factor in helping
to feed fixations of violence. The need to tackle this was a
major theme in the report following the first phase of the public
inquiry into the tragic murders of 3 young girls in Southport in
July 2024.
In the first summit, the minister challenged online retailers and
marketplaces on how they will ensure knife listings comply with
the law and what further action they will take to prevent
irresponsible marketing.
At a second summit, businesses with traditional bricks and
mortar' shops were pressed to strengthen standards for displaying
and selling knives in stores and support a renewed Responsible
Retailers' Scheme, a voluntary code that promotes best practice
in the sale and display of knives.
Policing and Crime Minister said:
Knife crime destroys lives and devastates families, and everyone
involved in the sale of knives has a responsibility to help
prevent harm.
Businesses and online retailers need to take a hard look at how
knives are marketed, sold and displayed, and take every possible
step to prevent irresponsible sales.
We are making progress, but I want businesses to go further and
do everything possible to stop dangerous knives reaching the
wrong hands.
Campaigners who have dedicated themselves to tackling knife crime
and improving retail standards also spoke at the summits. Among
them was teacher Leanne Lucas, who survived the horrific and
tragic attack in Southport and has since called for tougher
action to stop dangerous knives being marketed and sold
irresponsibly.
Knife crime campaigner and founder of Let's Be Blunt', Leanne
Lucas said:
Having survived the Southport attack, I live with the
consequences of knife harm every day, and I founded Let's Be
Blunt to help prevent others from experiencing that devastation.
Every knife has a lifecycle - from design and manufacture to
marketing, display, sale, storage and access - with opportunities
for prevention at every stage. Everyday pointed-tip kitchen
knives must be part of the discussion about stronger safeguards.
Retailers must take responsibility for what they stock and how
knives are marketed, stored, displayed and sold, giving staff the
education, training and support to put policies into practice. We
need businesses to make bold commitments, follow them through and
become role models across the sector. We cannot wait for the next
tragedy to make simple, practical changes, whether knives are
sold in shops or online.
Also speaking to bricks and mortar' retailers was campaigner Alan
Bacon, whose mother Tracy was stabbed and killed in 2015. Alan
spoke about the need for safer display and sales in shops to stop
easy access to knives and prevent further tragedies.
Alan Bacon, campaigner and founder of No Point Knives,
said:
For No Point Knives' these summits are the culmination of a
decade's worth of campaigning and highlighting shops that are
selling knives without consideration for safety.
Thanks to this government we finally have the chance to present
our evidence to the industry and make a difference.
The summits were also attended by enforcement partners from the
National Knife Crime Centre, which was set up to coordinate
efforts to reduce knife crime.
Commander Stephen Clayman, head of the National Knife Crime
Centre (NKCC) and NPCC knife crime lead, said:
Knife-enabled crime remains a complex issue that policing cannot
tackle it alone. It requires agencies, partners, businesses and
communities to work together, addressing the issue from a range
of different perspectives.
At the NKCC, we are working tirelessly to restrict illicit knife
supply through the unregulated grey market and importation of
prohibited weapons from countries with different legislation to
the UK, both of which remain significant concerns for law
enforcement.
But retailers, whether online or on the high street, also have a
significant role to play, and that was made abundantly clear at
today's summit. Responsible selling and marketing practices are
vital if we are to reduce children's access to dangerous
weapons.
The consequences of knife-enabled crime can be devastating for
victims, families and whole communities. We will continue working
with the Home Office to deliver the 2025 online review of knife
sales recommendations and work with retailers and partners to
develop long-term solutions that restrict access to dangerous
weapons, prevent harm and help keep our communities safe.
The summit supports the government's wider mission to halve knife
crime, combining stronger safeguards on knife sales through
Ronan's Law with targeted prevention programmes and data-led
policing in the areas most affected by serious violence.
