SAMURAI swords, used in a number of violent attacks in Greater Manchester, are to be banned.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will tomorrow outlaw the manufacturing and import of the dangerous martial arts weapons.
Anyone breaking the law will face jail or a £5,000 fine.
In May, a gang armed with Samurai swords and machetes struck at three pubs in Salford in an hour, threatening staff and fleeing with cash. In June, a boy fought off a gang of masked robbers who burst into his home in Rochdale and attacked his father with Samurai swords.
Police say the swords are increasingly being used on the streets as a `macho' weapon and should be taken out of circulation.
Home Office figures show there have been nearly 100 crimes involving Samurai swords since 2003 and at least six people have been murdered by people using them.
In 2000 former Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones was attacked and his assistant killed by a man wielding a Samurai sword. Two months ago, thieves used one to rob a security van of £40,000 in Northampton.
The ban will be total. Only genuine historical Samurai swords displayed in museums for instance, will be exempt.
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Ban on Samurai swords
December 11, 2007
Showing comments 1 to 10 and replies | View All
Batfink, Manchester (11/12/2007 at 12:44)
S Tockport, near the window (11/12/2007 at 13:21)
SAPPER, MANCHESTER (11/12/2007 at 14:27)
ALso the article says that the thugs had machetes will they be banned as well.
It is the same thing over and over again, until the justice system locks up for a long time anyone carrying a lethal weapon in public for a long time, and anyone who uses them to commit a crime then the problem will stay. Knives are banned from being carried in public but it has not stopped them from being used to commit crime and kill people.
Any one who uses a knife to stab someone should be charged with attempted murder no matter where he stabbed them and then get a life sentence for his actions.
But I will not be holding my breath, as this government is the problem not society because they have done absolutely nothing to curb the rising crime rate, and they can bleat on all they like about crime figures falling, tell that to the people who have been robbed, murdered and suffer constant harrassment from the gangs of Brainless morons that control our estates and streets.
gary quinn (11/12/2007 at 14:29)
Here's a novel idea. Licence swords so only members of legitimate schools of Japanese sword arts can purchase them. Wow! That took all of 0.5 seconds to think of.
PW, Manchester (11/12/2007 at 15:45)
alvinlwh (11/12/2007 at 16:24)
joanne card, manchester (11/12/2007 at 16:50)
Mr Blobby, Atherton (11/12/2007 at 18:16)
Alex (12/12/2007 at 11:02)
What is really needed is more effective punishment for the people who commit these crimes that way idiots may be less inclined to repeat/copy them!
Guesty, Manchester (13/12/2007 at 17:03)
Have you noticed that most of the stories of samurai attacks have been done by complete nutters. Nutters will use anything to do damage.
Also for the story above. Does it matter if the gang used samurai swords. If they went in a pub with baseball bats they'd still do the same job.
Last thing. A few months ago the government banned firearms (that could not be converted), but you can still buy replica firearms that CAN be converted. The government have it all wrong. They just want to show that they care but they are going about it all wrong.