Ninja Swords To Be Banned In The UK From August In Honour Of Murdered Teen Ronan Kanda

The UK government has confirmed that ninja swords – increasingly linked to street violence – will be outlawed nationwide from 1 August, in a landmark decision spurred by the tragic murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda in 2022. The ban follows relentless campaigning by Ronan's family, after he was stabbed to death with a sword bought online in a horrifying case of mistaken identity.

Under the incoming legislation, it will become illegal to possess, manufacture, import or sell ninja swords in the UK. Anyone caught with such a weapon in private from August could face up to six months in prison, with repeat offenders facing up to two years behind bars under proposals set out in the Crime and Policing Bill.

To support the transition, the government will run a surrender scheme from 1 to 31 July, allowing people to hand in the swords safely and receive compensation – though any weapons purchased after 27 March 2025 will not be eligible for payment, in a bid to prevent abuse of the scheme.

The move, announced by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, has been dubbed Ronan's Law in honour of the teenager whose death shocked the nation. She said: 'Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence and it is far too easy for them to get hold of dangerous weapons.'

'A Very Important Day For Our Family'

Ronan's mother, Pooja Kanda, said the ban is a vital milestone in her family's fight for justice. 'Today marks a very important day for us as a family and our campaign,' she said. 'Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords – the lethal weapon which took his life. We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.'

Her statement follows the conviction of Ronan's killers, Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill, both aged 17 at the time of the attack. The pair were sentenced to a combined total of 34 years in 2023 after admitting to stabbing Ronan with a ninja sword purchased online.

What Happened To Ronan?

On 29 June 2022, Ronan Kanda was walking home from a friend's house in Wolverhampton, having just bought a PlayStation controller. Just yards from his family home, he was ambushed by Veadhesa and Shergill, who had mistaken him for someone else. The pair were targeting another boy they believed lived at the address Ronan had just visited.

Ronan was stabbed twice with a ninja sword, described by police as 'vicious', and died at the scene. His attackers fled, later discarding their weapons and clothing. Both were apprehended and sentenced in 2023 – Veadhesa to a minimum of 18 years and Shergill to 16.

What Is A Ninja Sword?

A 'ninja-style' sword is typically defined as a blade measuring between 14 and 24 inches with a single straight cutting edge and a tanto-style point. According to the Home Office, it must have a straight primary edge, a secondary straight edge, and a blunt spine. The tanto-style point features a sharp angle of less than 90 degrees between the two cutting edges, with a greater than 90-degree angle to the spine. Reverse tanto designs – where the angles are flipped – are also included in the definition.

Knife Crime Statistics And The Wider Crackdown

The ninja sword ban is the final component of Ronan's Law, which also includes:

• Mandatory two-step verification for online knife purchases
• Obligations for retailers to report bulk or suspicious sales to police
• Tougher penalties for selling knives to under-18s
• Stricter enforcement against public knife possession

The legislation comes amid growing concern over knife-related violence in the UK. According to official figures, there were approximately 50,500 offences involving sharp instruments in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024 – a 4.4% rise compared to the previous year.

In the same period, NHS Digital recorded 3,900 hospital admissions due to assaults involving sharp objects – up 3.3% from the year before. The West Midlands, where Ronan was murdered, recorded the highest knife crime rate in the country, with 178 offences per 100,000 people.

With growing pressure on the government to act, campaigners hope Ronan's Law will signal a turning point. As Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Today we are introducing the final part of Ronan's Law in his memory – banning the ninja swords that his killers should never have been able to use.'