Zombie knife compensation scheme

People who own “zombie-style” knives and machetes are being offered compensation by the government to hand the weapons over to police.

Under the month-long amnesty people will be able to claim compensation for surrendering weapons that match set criteria.

From Monday (26 August) people can attend Thorpe Wood Police Station, in Peterborough, or Parkside Police Station, in Cambridge, to dispose of knives, and the campaign runs until 23 September.

People are advised to check the opening times of the police stations before they travel.

An appointment is only necessary if five items or more are to be surrendered at any one time. If this is the case, people should call 101 to arrange a time to visit a police station.

Zombie knives are illegal to own – even if kept in private property – following changes to the Offensive Weapons Act. A new law is set to ban similar “zombie-style” weapons.

Inspector Karl Secker said: “I’d urge people who own zombie-style knives or machetes to make use of this new government scheme.

“These weapons have no place in society and those who choose not to dispose of them run the risk of being prosecuted for owning illegal items.

“If you know someone who owns one of these weapons, please encourage them to surrender it. By doing so you will be helping to make the county safer and ensuring they won’t be prosecuted.”

Important information for those taking part in the scheme:

All items should be packaged appropriately to avoid causing alarm when being transported or arriving at a police station. They must be wrapped up, placed in a sealed bag or box and only removed when requested to do so.

Owners will need to fill in a form, which should be downloaded and printed in advance. A copy of this form can be found on the government’s website. Copies may be available at the police station, but this is subject to availability.

This will be processed, and the owners contacted by a government department regarding compensation. No payment will be issued at the police station and Cambridgeshire Constabulary will not be involved in the compensation process.

If the owner believes the weapon has a value greater than £10 they will need to provide proof of purchase, such as a receipt.

“Zombie-style” knives and machetes are described in law as a bladed article with a plain cutting edge, a sharp pointed end, and a blade of more than eight inches in length, which can also have one or more of the following features:

1) a serrated cutting edge (other than a serrated cutting edge of up to two inches next to the handle).

2) more than one hole in the blade.

3) spikes.

4) more than two sharp points in the blade (other than a sharp point of a specified below.

Any items surrendered that do not meet these criteria may be retained by police without compensation being issued. Example images of weapons that qualify for the scheme are pictured below.