Stricter age checks on sales of knives online announced after Southport attack

People buying knives online will have to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again on delivery as part of stricter age verification checks to be introduced by the Government in the wake of the Southport attack.

Under the new two-step system, which will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online, buyers may need to submit an official identity document such as a passport or driving licence, as well as proof of address such as a utility bill, before showing ID again when the package is delivered.

People may also need to submit a current photo or video of themselves to an online retailer alongside their ID, the Home Office said.

Companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it, and it will also be illegal to leave a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had promised urgent action to prevent under-18s buying knives online, saying it was “shockingly easy” for killers such as Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana to get their hands on weapons.

Rudakubana, aged 17 at the time, used a knife bought from Amazon to kill three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It’s a total disgrace how easy it still is for children to get dangerous weapons online.

“More than two years after Ronan Kanda was killed with a ninja sword bought by a teenager online, too many retailers still don’t have proper checks in place.

“It’s too easy to put in false birth dates, parcels are too often being dropped off at a doorstop with no questions asked.

“We cannot go on like this. We need much stronger checks – before you buy, before it’s delivered.

“The measures I am