Taylor’s Eye Witness joint managing director Alastair Fisher has written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid expressing his concerns about the proposed Offensive Weapons Bill.

Introduced on June 20, the Bill proposes to ban the delivery of knives and corrosives bought online to residential addresses. At the time, Sajid Javid said: “It is totally wrong that young people are able to get their hands on dangerous weapons such as knives and harmful acids. That is why we are making the laws around this even tighter.”

Article 15 of the Bill will create new criminal offences prohibiting the delivery of bladed products to residential premises. (Documents related to the Offensive Weapons Bill can be found on the Parliament website.)

Alastair told www.HousewaresLive.net: “Bizarrely, this Bill will prevent distance sellers sending kitchen knives to private addresses. This is in spite of a period of consultation when many interested parties made the point that such a ban would not prevent a single knife crime – and would be impossible to police.”

In an email to Sajid Javid, Alastair stated: ‘I’m writing to you as a director of Taylor’s Eye Witness to point out the stupidity of paragraph 15 of The Offensive Weapons Bill. We are probably the UK`s largest manufacturer of kitchen knives – hence my interest in the matter.

‘Due to the fact that there are approximately 400,000,000 kitchen knives in circulation in the UK today, the ban on the delivery of bladed products to residential addresses is the most pointless piece of political posturing ever. If a youth wants to get hold of a knife, he does not need to pose as an adult and order one online – or even get an older friend to go into Poundland and buy one for £1. He has over 400,000,000 opportunities to steal one.

‘Whilst nobody wishes to see knives misused, it must be remembered that without them, there would be no food on our tables, in the shops – or even the in the House of Commons restaurants!

‘With the decline of the High Street, this Bill – if passed – will cause us significant problems in getting our products to our customers. It is likely to be fatal to a number of our smaller customers who rely on distance selling for all or part of their livings. It will not prevent a single stabbing.

‘I would be pleased to welcome you to our premises to meet our staff and discuss the problem further. As knife producers, news of stabbings fills us all with sorrow for the injured and their families.

‘There is an answer (apart from vigorous police action) and that is education. A sharp knife is an essential tool when preparing a nutritious meal. In home use, there is nothing more dangerous than a blunt knife. The care, sharpening and safe storage of knives must be one of the first lessons of simple cookery. If the young can learn that a good kitchen knife is not a weapon but a good friend, they will not abuse and misuse them. Please take action to amend your Bill!’

An online petition launched to remove Article 15 of the Offensive Weapons Bill at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/222776?mc_cid=f38182830d&mc_eid=%5BUNIQID%5D has already garnered 18,145 signatures.

 

Alastair Fisher: “A good kitchen knife is not a weapon but a good friend”