Call to hand in weapons as ‘ninja sword’ surrender begins at Newark Police Station
People are being urged to hand in soon-to-be outlawed ‘ninja swords’ as Nottinghamshire Police takes part in a national amnesty.
The force is joining others across the country to support the initiative, which aims to help remove further dangerous weapons from our streets.
The amnesty will take place until July 31, ahead of it becoming illegal to own, sell, or import ninja swords in England and Wales on August 1.
A ninja sword is defined as a blade between 14 and 24 inches in length, with a primary and secondary straight cutting edge, a blunt spine, and either a tanto-style point or a reversed tanto-style point.
Anyone found in possession of one of these weapons after August 1, 2025 will be breaking the law and could face prosecution, including a potential prison sentence.
Under the updated Offensive Weapons Act, it will be illegal to keep these weapons in any private setting, including the home.
The law change follows years of campaigning by the family of Ronan Kanda, who was killed in Wolverhampton on June 29, 2022, in a case of mistaken identity, by two teenagers in possession of a ninja sword.
Anyone who owns a ninja sword is being urged to hand it in safely and anonymously before the new law comes into effect.
To encourage the surrender of these weapons, owners will be offered £5 compensation per item, but only during the four-week surrender period and if it was purchased before March 27, 2025.
Compensation is only available when the weapon is handed in at Newark Police Station, as well as Mansfield Police Station, Central Police Station, Oxclose Lane Police Station and Radford Road Police Station.
The police is urging people to take care when bringing a weapon to a surrender location as items must be wrapped up and placed in a sealed bag or box and must not be carried openly at any time.
Retailers or members of the public who intend to surrender more than 10 items at one time must contact the designated police station in advance to make an appointment.
Anyone wishing to take part in the surrender and compensation scheme must first complete a short form and provide ID.
Chief inspector Kylie Davies, the force’s knife crime lead, said: “We welcome this national initiative to help rid our communities of dangerous and offensive weapons and are happy to support it.
“These swords have no place on our streets.
“The scheme is running for four weeks, so that’s plenty of time for anyone who has one of these weapons in their home to hand it in at one of our designated stations, and we strongly encourage them to do so.
“We’ve had some good successes with our previous knife surrenders, including 222 weapons handed in across the county during the most recent Sceptre in May.
“This surrender supports our wider work to tackle knife crime and serious violence. Every weapon handed in is one less that could be used to cause harm and help to make our communities safer.”
