RESIDENTS who own ‘zombie’ knives and machetes are being urged to hand them in before a national banning deadline.

Cheshire Police will be part of a surrender and compensation scheme for zombie-style knives and machetes launched by the Government on Monday, August 26.

The laws around knives are changing, and from September 24, it will be illegal to own certain styles of zombie knives and machetes.

The manufacture, importation, sale and general supply of these items will also be prohibited.

Ahead of the law change, a month-long national surrender and compensation scheme has been introduced by the Government, allowing legal owners of zombie-style knives and machetes to surrender them to the police and claim compensation if they wish.

Anyone surrendering knives that meet the criteria will be eligible for compensation, under the Government scheme.

When bringing items to Warrington Police Station for surrender, members of the public are asked to wrap it up securely and place it in a sealed bag or box, with the weapon covered at all times.

Members of the public need to bring along a completed surrender and compensation claim in case you are stopped by the police on the way to a police station.

Superintendent Andrew Blizzard said: “Over the past year, crime involving knives and bladed articles have become an increasingly pertinent issue nationwide, and so we welcome this change in legislation.

“These knives in particular rarely serve a practical purpose and are mainly used to cause fear and intimidation, so this new law will significantly limit their availability.

“We are particularly proud that, when compared to our fellow home forces, knife crime in Cheshire remains low.

“But we are seeing a considerable number of people across the county in possession of knives and bladed weapons, and this is something that we as a force will not tolerate.

“On a daily basis, our officers do their utmost to keep our Cheshire community weapons-free, and a safe place for everyone who works, lives and visits here, and we will ensure that this change in legislation will be enforced county-wide.

“I would urge anyone who is in possession of a knife or bladed weapon that is soon to become prohibited to seriously consider surrendering it to the police.”

To report any type of crime involving weapons, visit cheshire.police.uk/ro/report or call Cheshire Police on 101, or always 999 in an emergency.

Anyone who knows someone that carries a knife can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org