Commissioner leads calls to hand in ninja swords during national amnesty

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden is urging people to ‘do the right thing’ and hand in soon-to-be outlawed ‘ninja swords’ as part of a national amnesty.

Nottinghamshire Police has joined forces across the country to support the initiative in recent weeks, which aims to tackle serious violence by helping to remove further dangerous weapons from our streets.

The amnesty started on 1 July and runs until 31 July ahead of it becoming illegal to own, sell, or import ninja swords in England and Wales on 1 August.

That means there is just a week remaining before the ban is enforced.

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 1 August 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 settings, including at home.

PCC Godden, who made tackling serious violence one of the key priorities in his Police and Crime Plan, visited Mansfield Police Station recently to discuss the ongoing amnesty.

He said: “It’s really important that people owning these weapons in Nottinghamshire do the right thing and hand them in.

“There should be no fear of any repercussions if they are brought to a local police station, we are not trying to catch anybody out.

“The message is clear, protect yourselves and others by disposing of ninja swords in the safest possible way before 1 August, as we continue to strive to make Nottinghamshire a safer place for all.”

The law change follows years of campaigning by the family of Ronan Kanda, who was killed in Wolverhampton on 29 June 2022, in a case of mistaken identity, by two teenagers in possession of a ninja sword.

Anyone who owns a ninja sword can hand them in safely and anonymously before the new law comes into effect.

Police Constable Saara Nawaz, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We urge everyone who owns a dangerous weapon to use this opportunity and hand them in to keep everybody safe.

“It’s so important that people understand the damage this type of weapon can do not just to others, but to themselves as well.”

“You can come in with no questions asked, we won’t be casting any aspersions so just hand them in at your nearest amnesty point.

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 27 March 2025.

Compensation is only available when the weapon is handed in at one of the designated police stations listed below.

Mansfield Police Station, Great Central Road Mansfield Nottinghamshire NG18 2HQ

Central Police Station (Byron House) 2a Byron House, Maid Marian Way Nottingham NG1 4BH

Newark Police Station, Queens Road Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 1LJ

Oxclose Lane Police Station, Arnold Nottingham NG5 6FZ

Radford Road Police Station, Radford Road Nottingham NG7 5GX

Please take care when bringing a weapon to a surrender location. Items must be wrapped up and placed in a sealed bag or box. They must not be carried openly at any time.

If you are a retailer or member of the public who intends to surrender more than 10 items at one time, you 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.

More information is available at: Ninja sword surrender and compensation scheme - GOV.UK