Knives
Knives
The Prevention of Crime Act 1953 prohibits the possession of an Offensive Weapon in a Public Place (without lawful authority or reasonable excuse).
Legislation prohibits the possession of most types of knife in public places without good reason. Although folding pocket knives with a cutting edge of less than 3 inches may be exempt, there are circumstances in which such a knife could be regarded as an offensive weapon and therefore illegal.
In broad terms the following are illegal:
- Having a sharply pointed instrument or a bladed instrument with a cutting edge more than 3 inches long in public
- Flick Knives or Gravity Knives
- Taking a knife onto school premises
- Selling a knife to someone under 18 years of age
- Marketing a knife as a "Combat Knife".
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 prohibits the manufacture, sale, importation or transference of ownership of certain types of weapons.