Retailers challenged to strengthen action on marketing of knives

The UK government convened two summits on 8 October 2026, bringing together law enforcement, major retailers, online marketplaces, trade associations, Trading Standards, the Advertising Standards Authority and campaigners to address irresponsible marketing and sale of knives. Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones challenged businesses to stop using combat and violence imagery to promote knives and ensure dangerous weapons are not easily accessible, particularly online. The summits follow recommendations from the first phase of the public inquiry into the Southport murders in July 2024, which highlighted irresponsible advertising as a factor in fuelling violence fixation.

Minister Sarah Jones pressed online retailers and marketplaces to ensure knife listings comply with UK law and to take further action to prevent irresponsible marketing. For traditional retailers, she urged stronger standards for displaying and selling knives in stores and renewed support for the voluntary Responsible Retailers’ Scheme, which promotes best practice in knife sales and display. Campaigners, including survivors and families affected by knife crime, spoke at the events, calling for urgent action to prevent dangerous knives reaching the wrong hands.

Campaigner Leanne Lucas, a teacher who survived the Southport attack, founded the group Let’s Be Blunt and emphasised the need to address every stage of a knife’s lifecycle, from design to sale and storage. She stressed that retailers must take responsibility for stocking decisions, staff training and safe display practices to prevent harm. Campaigner Alan Bacon, whose mother Tracy was killed in 2015, highlighted the importance of safer shop displays to stop easy access to knives and prevent further tragedies.

The National Knife Crime Centre (NKCC) attended the summits, noting that knife-enabled crime requires coordinated action across agencies, businesses and communities. The NKCC highlighted concerns over illicit knife supply through unregulated markets and imports from countries with different legislation. The government is working with the Home Office to implement recommendations from the 2025 online review of knife sales and to develop long-term solutions that restrict access to dangerous weapons and support community safety.