The mother of a schoolboy stabbed to death by a thug armed with a weapon “of war” has welcomed a ban on ninja swords.
Ronan Kanda, 16, was killed with a 20-inch blade just yards from his own in Wolverhampton in a case of mistaken identity.
The Home Office on Thursday confirmed ninja swords will be outlawed, with anyone caught with one of the weapons facing six months in prison.
Officials have also drawn up plans to increase the maximum penalty to two years behind bars.
Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, said: “Today marks a very important day for us as a family and our campaign.
“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.
“Each step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards getting justice for our boy Ronan.”
The move to ban the blades will be laid before Parliament on Thursday and will come into force in the summer once it has gained approval in Parliament.
Anyone caught with a ninja sword in private could face six months in prison, set to increase to two years under plans in the Crime and Policing Bill.
The weapons can be handed over in knife-surrender bins or local police stations under a surrender scheme running in July.
No ninja swords bought after Thursday will be eligible for compensation as part of efforts to stop exploitation of the scheme, the Home Office said.
Under Ronan’s Law, the Home Office has also announced a raft of measures including making retailers report bulk or suspicious sales to police, and increasing the jail sentence for selling weapons to children, or illegal blades such as zombie knives, to two years.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We are acting with urgency to bring forward measures to prevent deadly weapons from getting into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent young people being killed on our streets as part of our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.”
Patrick Green, chief executive of Ben Kinsella Trust, also backed the ban, adding: “These weapons, with no practical purpose beyond violence, are simply instruments of war and have absolutely no place in our society or on our streets.
“The ease with which such dangerous items have been available has contributed to far too many tragedies.”Sandra Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Word 4 Weapons said: “Ronan’s tragic death at the hands of a ninja sword highlights the urgent need to tighten legislation around dangerous weapons, online and otherwise.
“This law is a crucial step toward reducing violence and protecting lives in our communities.”
The Government is also set to consult on introducing a licensing scheme for retailers who want to sell knives in the spring.
