Get a grip. Needing to go ask permission before clearing overgrowth on a path? Don’t be silly.
Voluntarily handing in a large blade to the UK police
- Thread starter spokenword
- Start date
So much for “Leave no trace!”
Edited to add:
As stated above, I’ll talk to the local county agency and see what they say, then we will both know what we are talking about.
Now can we get back to @spokenword OP?
Edited to add:
As stated above, I’ll talk to the local county agency and see what they say, then we will both know what we are talking about.
Now can we get back to @spokenword OP?
I have no issue with someone leaving the trace that they’ve opened a footpath back up.
You’re one of the worst for off topic chat so don’t feel the need to pull anyone else up on it either.
OK guys, I have a little experience of this from green lanes. It is the council and highways authorities responsibility to make all public rights of way passable and safe. If they do not, you're are entitled to clear such obstruction to enable safe passage - in my case I have taken a whole windblown oak off a BOAT. So, taking a cutting blade to clear a public right of way that is impassable is perfectly within your rights.
?!
I'm not sure what you think I was up to but to be clear, I was cutting a few brambles and nettles that were blocking access on a public footpath. With my consultant highway engineer and town planner hat on I can pretty confidently say that this would not be considered "modification of the pathway".
Apologies for hijacking a thread, but it seemed to have gone dead anyway. Thanks for the replies all.
The rules about the zombie knifes remind me of the rules that killed off the free party scene in the 90s,
The law banned 'any gathering of 20 or more people where:
But yeah, the zombie knife laws are about creating a legal definition that targets a Certain Kind Of Person And Situation They Have In Mind, that are going to be applied and enforced in those situations. Does that make sense? Just like the '94 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act is not applied at Taylor Swift gigs, despite them being technically illegal.
If the amnesty will give you the full value for the knife then maybe, but they might well note down your details for administrative purposes and so then that's a bit of a privacy thing. & the odds of police randomly raiding your house are basically nil unless you're also up to something naughty.
The law banned 'any gathering of 20 or more people where:
Which is kind of hilarious if it wasn't so needlessly destructive as well. Looks like we need to ban all concerts aside from Enya!
But yeah, the zombie knife laws are about creating a legal definition that targets a Certain Kind Of Person And Situation They Have In Mind, that are going to be applied and enforced in those situations. Does that make sense? Just like the '94 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act is not applied at Taylor Swift gigs, despite them being technically illegal.
If the amnesty will give you the full value for the knife then maybe, but they might well note down your details for administrative purposes and so then that's a bit of a privacy thing. & the odds of police randomly raiding your house are basically nil unless you're also up to something naughty.
Out in the wilds of nowhere nobody is likely to see you or report you but on the estates that is another matter. There is a footpath near to me between two housing estates that I travel most days which the Council has allowed to become severely overgrown. I feel very tempted to have a go at it. I think it would be risky even with my electric hedge trimmer, which I do not think comes under the definition of a zombie knife yet as I am pretty sure that somebody would find an excuse to either prosecute or sue me, if not for anything else than flouting elfin safety laws. I do wonder if however I took my slasher out there having informed the Council first that I intended to do so whether I would be protected from the police at least. I guess a medium position would be to go out with a set of loppers and a pair of garden shears, they are neither the stuff of a chainsaw massacre or a zombie apocalypse.
put on a hi viz and just go and do what you feel needs doing. dont tell anyone. no one will bat an eyelid but many will notice the good work x
I went to castle morton rave and I was on the crew for taylor swift gig last month. Taylor swift should be banned and zombie knives and wild free parties brought back. x
Dont give anything to the police. if you want to hand something over then instead send it somewhere out of the country to an individual or organisation that will use it for its intended purpose. it is only the UK that has these psychotic paranoid amnestys, knee jerk reactions and laws to match. I live in Ireland. Theres none of that here. In fact please send all your implements of doom directly to me.
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I keep garden pruners in my jacket pocket. Little by little you can work wonders on a snarled path
A very underrated bushcraft tool
Blimey, I've cut back hedges and brambles along several suburban footpaths and no one's ever complained. Quite the opposite in fact; people tend to be grateful for the improved access.
I take care of the overgrown path next to my house - there are some nightshades growing there and lots of critters, so I hope that my work keeping a path through prevents the council chopping the whole lot flat. I've also taken a spade to it, as it's on a slope, to keep the path more path like
I do have a pair of folding secateurs which I took out yesterday, garden shears would have been better but less convenient for a shopping trip.I keep garden pruners in my jacket pocket. Little by little you can work wonders on a snarled path
OUTCOME
Firstly, couldn't care less about the money anymore. Wanted to surrender it to the police station, which I did today, just so that I could come back here with the result. I knew it was a gamble, but what the hell. For the sake of £100 it's worth it.
Included:
1. Home Office form multi-page form with name, bank details email and phone.
2. Two eBay USA printouts from two different sellers showing the same knife selling for about $800.
3. Many printed pictures of said knife.
4. One letter, explaining that it's a 'work' knife... not a 'killing' knife.
At Police Station:
Paperwork handed over counter first, then told to sit and wait. 15 mins later a door opens and I hand knife over. Door closes and ten minutes later I'm informed that it doesn't qualify for any compensation (not even £10) as it only has an 8 inch blade, not 'over' 8 inches. Yet they say it's still illegal to own. I ask for it back, but told I can't have it.
They then run around for 30 mins when I ask for clarification. In the end they say the titled document:
The Criminal Justice Act 1988
(Offensive Weapons) (Amendment,
Surrender and Compensation) Order
2024
... is an amendment and that the old pre-2024 law meant my knife was illegal anyway. I argued that's wrong, and that there is no reference to that old law, and that this amendment would surely supersede and replace anything previously put out by the Home Office. Fell on deaf ears, as they wouldn't have it any other way.
I point out that according to the diagram show in the above document document, (that I only just then became aware of, my mistake), if the blade is not over 8 inches and doesn't qualify for compensation, how can it be illegal - my mistake in not reading that bit. In fact the diagram first states, if not over 8 inches, no need to proceed. The reply from them was that the saw back edge makes it illegal anyway, regardless of the blade length. However, the above document then goes on to say, "If your weapon does not qualify under this scheme you may still surrender it to the police, but you cannot claim compensation."
So, and I don't mind being a test case here, any advice on how to proceed, or is it even worth it? Like I said, I don't care about the money, but would like to inform everyone that I can on what actually happens. It's interesting to me
This will be useful for when they come after every fixed blade knife people on this forum own. Please don't say that won't happen. It will. Someone a few months ago in this thread said that they'll never get around to updating the law (or that it'll take an eternity to even get into gear). They were wrong. Fact: it was put into law within a few weeks of Labour getting into power.Here's the info I found on the previous law:
Offensive Weapons Act 2019
An Act to make provision for and in connection with offences relating to offensive weapons.
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OUTCOME
Firstly, couldn't care less about the money anymore. Wanted to surrender it to the police station, which I did today, just so that I could come back here with the result. I knew it was a gamble, but what the hell. For the sake of £100 it's worth it.
Included:
1. Home Office form multi-page form with name, bank details email and phone.
2. Two eBay USA printouts from two different sellers showing the same knife selling for about $800.
3. Many printed pictures of said knife.
4. One letter, explaining that it's a 'work' knife... not a 'killing' knife.
At Police Station:
Paperwork handed over counter first, then told to sit and wait. 15 mins later a door opens and I hand knife over. Door closes and ten minutes later I'm informed that it doesn't qualify for any compensation (not even £10) as it only has an 8 inch blade, not 'over' 8 inches. Yet they say it's still illegal to own. I ask for it back, but told I can't have it.
They then run around for 30 mins when I ask for clarification. In the end they say the titled document:
The Criminal Justice Act 1988
(Offensive Weapons) (Amendment,
Surrender and Compensation) Order
2024
... is an amendment and that the old pre-2024 law meant my knife was illegal anyway. I argued that's wrong, and that there is no reference to that old law, and that this amendment would surely supersede and replace anything previously put out by the Home Office. Fell on deaf ears, as they wouldn't have it any other way.
I point out that according to the diagram show in the above document document, (that I only just then became aware of, my mistake), if the blade is not over 8 inches and doesn't qualify for compensation, how can it be illegal - my mistake in not reading that bit. In fact the diagram first states, if not over 8 inches, no need to proceed. The reply from them was that the saw back edge makes it illegal anyway, regardless of the blade length. However, the above document then goes on to say, "If your weapon does not qualify under this scheme you may still surrender it to the police, but you cannot claim compensation."
So, and I don't mind being a test case here, any advice on how to proceed, or is it even worth it? Like I said, I don't care about the money, but would like to inform everyone that I can on what actually happens. It's interesting to me
Here's the info I found on the previous law:
Offensive Weapons Act 2019
An Act to make provision for and in connection with offences relating to offensive weapons.www.legislation.gov.uk
I respect you integrity and transparency and willingness to be as open as you have.
It probably isn't worth the effort. But, from my limited understanding the 2019 amendment would only apply if you knife had violent words on it. The law says serrated edge and images or words.
(i)a cutting edge;
(ii)a serrated edge; and
(iii)images or words (whether on the blade or handle) that suggest that it is to be used for the purpose of violence.”
Did you get a receipt for the knife? If you have the time and energy it could be worth chasing it up and raising a complaint if you are sure the knife is legal. If you're a member of certain organisations they could help, BASC for example are providing advice to members.
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I found a flow chart which shows how to work out legality, let me find the link
Bottom of this page
www.knifewarehouse.co.uk
Bottom of this page
2024 Machete & ‘Zombie Knife’ Ban | Knifewarehouse
2024 Zombie Knife Ban Updates and Surrender Options with compensation available.
www.knifewarehouse.co.uk
Thanks. Just a lack of patience really, and that I hate government paperwork... and the idea of being arrested
But I do want to provide feedback so everyone knows what to expect when round two of even newer knife laws start.
