A BAN on so-called ‘ninja swords’ which came into force earlier this month has been welcomed by a Barnsley MP who has backed the government’s promise to clamp down on knife crime.

Dan Jarvis, who represents Barnsley North, is also the Security Minister at the Home Office and said the move will help reverse the alarming trend.

The ban, which came into effect on August 1, forms part of Ronan’s Law which was introduced in memory of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was tragically killed with a ninja sword in 2022.

The new legislation makes it illegal to possess, import, manufacture or sell ninja swords - defined as having a blade between 14 and 24 inches with a single cutting edge and tanto-style point - with offenders facing up to two years in jail.

Dan told the Chronicle the ban is part of the government’s mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.

Measures also include tougher regulations for online sales, penalties for underage weapon sales, and new responsibilities for online platforms and retailers to carry out age-verification.

He added: “The government’s focus on tackling knife crime has seen over a thousand weapons taken over off UK’s streets in July alone, and knife robberies falling in the hardest-hit areas.( “Knife crime has stolen too many young lives - no parent should ever have to endure what Ronan’s family has suffered.

“The ban on ninja swords is both urgent and necessary to take these dangerous weapons off our streets.

“We’re determined to do whatever it takes to tackle the scourge of knife crime.”

Home Office figures show South Yorkshire Police recorded 1,481 knife and sharp instrument offences in 2024 - down three per cent from 1,528 the year before.

It means there was a rate of 105 such offences per 100,000 people in the area last year, which is above the national average of 90 per 100,000.

Carl Dixon, 35, Lazarus Makono, 26, and Alan Sutton, 41, have all died as a result of stabbings in the town in the last two years.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “When I took on South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner powers, one of my manifesto commitments is to prioritise a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime.

“It is a scourge on our communities, destroying the lives of both victims of knife crime and those who carry knives.

“Across the country, the rates of knife crime are growing and they are growing more quickly in South Yorkshire than in other similar places.

“That’s why I have made knife crime a priority and committed to take a zero-tolerance approach.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure, whoever they are, wherever they are.

“By working with South Yorkshire Police and across our communities, I am determined to make that vision a reality.

“The fight to remove knife crime from our communities has also been further strengthened with the government’s ban on certain types of swords and the largest-ever review into how knives are sold online to identify any gaps in legislation which will prevent these being sold illegally to under-18s.

“In reality very few people carry knives but if someone you know is carrying a knife you can report it to the police, speak to a trusted family member or teacher, or you can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers.”