‘Two-click killer’: British PM Starmer pledges crackdown on online knife sales
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has previously called knife crime in Britain a “national crisis”.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Jan 22 pledged tougher measures to stop under-18s buying knives online.
Mr Starmer described the process as “shockingly easy” after it was revealed that the teenager who murdered three young girls in a stabbing spree
Axel Rudakubana was 17 at the time of the attack. He has pleaded guilty and is due to be sentenced on Jan 23 at Liverpool Crown Court.
“Tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue,” Mr Starmer said, writing in The Sun daily on Jan 22.
“The technology is there to set up age verification checks, even for kitchen knives ordered online. We must now use it to protect our children from future attack.”
His comments came as a 12-year-old boy became the latest knife crime fatality on Jan 21. A 14-year old boy has been arrested in connection with his death in the central city of Birmingham, police said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs on Jan 21 that it was a “total disgrace” that despite a history of violence, Rudakubana was able to buy a weapon online.
She promised new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill in coming months.
The current law states that retailers must verify the age of the customer before selling a knife and, for those bought online, at the point of collection or delivery.
An Amazon spokesman said it had launched an “urgent investigation in relation to this tragic case”.
“We use trusted ID verification services to check name, date of birth and address details whenever an order is placed for these bladed items,” it said.
“We have an age verification on delivery process that requires drivers to verify the recipient’s age through an app on their devices before handing over a parcel containing an age-restricted item,” it added.
Mr Starmer has previously called knife crime in Britain a “national crisis”.
A ban on “zombie-style” hunting knives with blades of over 20cm came into force in September 2024.
A BBC report suggested a review of online knife sales being carried out for the government could recommend a two-step verification process.
This might involve buyers being asked to supply an identity document and also record live video to prove their age.
The review by Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for knife crime, had been expected to report later in January. AFP
