Law on crossbow sales to be tightened after spate of sickening attacks

The law on crossbow sales will be tightened after a spate of sickening attacks.

People buying the dangerous weapons online will have to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again on delivery under a fresh crackdown.

Plans to introduce a stringent two-step age verification system for retailers online did not originally include crossbows. But the has now widened its Crime and Police Bill to include the lethal weapons.

Calls to clamp down on crossbows were renewed this week after involving a crossbow and firearm in Headingley, Leeds, on Saturday. The government has previously come under pressure to tighten the law Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, with a crossbow at their family home in Bushey, near Watford, last year.

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A Home Office minister said further action on how the Government plans “to limit the availability and accessibility of crossbows in this country" will be published shortly. Archery’s governing body has previously voiced concern that a crossbow ban might affect some archers who find using the equipment easier.

At the moment it is only illegal to buy a crossbow if you're under 18, and there is no need to have a licence. However people can be jailed for up to four years for carrying one in public without "reasonable excuse".

Ministers have faced calls to bring in licences for crossbows similar to those required by gun owners. In early 2024, the Tory government gathered evidence on whether to bring in greater controls on crossbows.

Crime and Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson told the yesterday: "We are very aware of concerns about the use of crossbows in violent attacks. The previous government held a call for evidence on licencing systems that could apply to crossbows last year to which they did not respond.

"As part of our wider work to get dangerous and lethal weapons off Britain's streets, we will shortly be publishing our response to that consultation setting out how we plan to go further to limit the availability and accessibility of crossbows in this country."

’s Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen the law on knife sales online, which together will be known as “Ronan’s Law”. It is named after Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old who was stabbed to death with a 20-inch ninja sword that his killer had bought online. He was murdered as he walked home in Wolverhampton in 2022 in a horrific case of mistaken identity.

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