The Mayor of London has called the Government’s failure to deliver the Criminal Justice Bill and ban zombie knives a “betrayal” of the safety of young people and communities.

Sadiq Khan called for Home Secretary James Cleverly to put an end to the delay in the legislation and bring forward the laws to ban the sale of the weapons.

“The Government’s failure to deliver the Criminal Justice Bill is a betrayal of the safety of our young people and our communities,” Mr Khan said.

“After years of delaying vital legislation that has allowed these dangerous weapons to continue being sold on our streets and having talked the talk about banning zombie knives for years, they have failed to deliver on their promises.

Knife crime
Examples of ‘zombie knives’ at a secure police location in Birmingham (Joe Giddens/PA)

“But it’s clear my calls, along with the voices of survivors, loved ones of victims and campaigners, have frustratingly fallen on deaf ears. The Government are not taking this crisis seriously enough. These weapons have no other use than to cause maximum harm. They must be banned.”

Mr Khan says he has invested £151 million in this year’s budget for policing and crime prevention in London.

London Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman also lamented the government’s “failure” to follow through with the Bill.

She said: “The failure of the Government to follow through with the Criminal Justice Bill is a betrayal to everyone who has campaigned tirelessly to get victims of crime the justice they deserve, including many victims and families who have already failed in the most unimaginable way by a justice system not fit for purpose.

“Victims and families will feel that these hard-fought commitments have amounted to nothing. It is a terrible blow to all of us who continue to campaign for a better, fairer justice system. I urge the next Government to deliver these overdue commitments as quickly as possible.”

CRIME Figures
Police-recorded knife crime offences in England & Wales (PA Graphics)

It comes as the national lead for policing knife crime said underage teenagers buying knives online remains “a really concerning picture” for police, with illegal dealers selling weapons via social media.

Commander Stephen Clayman said earlier this month that forces in England and Wales are keen to cut off the supply of weapons as part of efforts to stop injuries and deaths.

Knives are being sold illegally to under-18s via social media channels including TikTok, Snapchat and those run by Meta, he said.