The mother of a murdered teen has praised the Government’s newly announced crackdown on knife crime as a “massive step forward”.
Tanya Brown, whose son Connor was stabbed to death in Sunderland in 2019, said Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “sticking to his word” with the new raft of anti-knife crime plans.
The new rules - which are set to come into force this spring - will see retailers made to report bulk or suspicious sales to police, and increase sentences for selling weapons to children, or illegal blades such as zombie knives, to two years.
It follows the publication of a review by Metropolitan Police Commander Stephen Clayman on Wednesday, who found loopholes in the online sale of knives.
Tanya told The Northern Echo that, while she had some reservations about how the individual points would work, she felt it was “very positive” news.
She explained: “I really think this is a strong positive step forward in regards to online sales. This is the government taking a step forward.
“Keir Starmer promised me he would clamp down - some people complained but he has only been in the job for seven months and I didn’t expect it to happen overnight.
“This is him sticking to his word.”
Bid to clamp down on knife crime and ‘lethal loopholes’
The newly announced plans - named ‘Ronan’s Law’ after teen Ronan Kanda, who was killed in 2022 - will introduce a string of new measures, including tougher sentencing.
Retailers will be forced to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales from happening across social media accounts.
The Government will also increase the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s from six months to up to two years of prison time, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.
A new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence will also be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, which will come with a prison sentence of up to four years.
This means that no matter if the weapon in possession is legal or not if there is intent to cause violence, it is a crime.
The Government - which wants to halve knife crime in the next decade - will also explore through a consultation this spring whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers can sell knives.
Tanya, who has become a prominent figure against knife crime after setting up the Connor Brown Trust charity, did voice concerns over sentencing.
“There just isn’t enough room in prisons”, she argued. “People won’t get a custodial sentence so I do find that point a waste of time.”
Regarding the impact on bulk purchases, she said: “I’m not sure of the impact because some people just buy a single weapon, and I don’t think that will have a major impact on young people trying to buy knives.
“Buying with intent for violence would also be difficult to prove but if it flags up that someone has bought a knife who has a record of violence in their past then that would work.
“But the fact they will dedicate time, resources, and money into tackling knife crime and online sales is really really positive news.”
Every weapon prevented ‘could save a life’
The North East continues to see first hand the devastating impact of knife crime - with Connor Brown, Chris Cave, Gordon Gault, Tomasz Oleszak and Jack Woodley being just a handful of those who have lost their lives in the region.
The Echo continues to work with victims of knife crime through its Knife Crime Taskforce, which was launched in 2023.
County Durham and Darlington PCC Joy Allen said she had been shocked at the ease at which young people were able to get their hands on the deadly weapons online - and “with the potential to cause untold horror”.
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She told The Echo: “I welcome any changes in legislation to restrict these sales through tougher checks that thwart those lying about their age and their intentions from purchasing such items. Ultimately, every weapon we prevent from reaching the streets could save a life.
“I am also pleased the Government is supporting this action with harsher penalties for those who flout the law deliberately or through ignorance.
“Society must collectively work together to eradicate the violence on our streets and that means holding everyone accountable for protecting our young people and raising alarm where it is justified and warranted.”
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