Police urge those in possession of Ninja swords to hand them in before ban comes into effect

From August 1, it will be illegal to possess, sell, make or import the weapon.

Those who currently possess a Ninja sword will not be permitted to keep it once the order comes into effect, unless a specific legal defence applies.

A sword meets the criteria for a Ninja sword if it is has a length of at least 14 inches, but no more than 24 inches in length. The sword must also have the following: a primary straight cutting edge; a secondary straight cutting edge; a blunt spine; either a tanto style point or a reversed tanto style point.

Members of the public are advised to read through guidance on the Home Office website and have completed the relevant paperwork before handing in the swords at a police station.

The standard compensation amount for each surrendered weapon will be £5, though applicants will be able to claim for more if they can show that the value of their weapon exceeds this amount.

For those wanting to hand in Ninja swords anonymously and not apply for compensation, they can be handed into bins at Northumbria Police stations across the region – the stations in Northumberland where you can do this are Alnwick, Bedlington, Berwick and Hexham.

Superintendent Scott Cowie, of Northumbria Police’s Prevention department, said: “Once the deadline has passed, anyone found to be in possession of a ninja sword should be expect to face serious consequences – and this could include prison time.”