Too many lives are senselessly being lost on our streets due to stabbings. This issue personally affects countless individuals who are afraid to freely roam their streets due to this persisting knife crime. It's time we make a concentrated effort to address this. The solution lies in establishing stringent regulations concerning the sale and disposal of knives.

We are calling for a ban on all knife sales in supermarkets and shops across the UK. Furthermore, knives should only be purchasable online with a full disclosure of the buyer's identity details. To increase accountability, each knife should be serialized to match the details supplied online, thereby tracing it to its lawful owner. This measure would lead to a decrease in knife crimes, as both the Office for National Statistics (2019) and the Metropolitan Police Service (2020) confirmed that over 40% of knife crimes were committed with untraceable knives.

In addition, we propose an elevation in the purchasing age to 21, up from the current 18-years requirement. This not only mirrors the alcohol purchasing age in parts of the United States, but also reaches an age range where maturity and responsibility should be well established.

Lastly, it needs to become a legal requirement to dispose old knife sets at local police stations. Through this measure, we can ensure proper tracking and disposal of potentially harmful weapons, preventing them from falling into inappropriate hands.

We believe these proposals, if implemented correctly, can effectively decrease the unaccountable circulation of knives and significantly reduce the fear and harm experienced by our citizens on a daily basis.

We urge legislators, law enforcers, and community leaders to act now. It's not just about regulations; it's about lives and safety. Please sign this petition.