Online retailers in the UK will need to report suspicious and bulk purchases of knives on their platforms to police under planned new rules.

The move comes in response to a number of tragic incidents where the unlicensed sale of weapons online has led to young people being killed.

‘Ronan’s Law’, named in honour of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda who was killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Wolverhampton, is set to see the government’s “toughest crackdown” on digital knife sales, with tougher sentences also being introduced for selling knives to under 18s.

Ronan’s killers, who were also teenagers, illegally bought lethal weapons online and collected them from the Post Office on the day of the attack, with no age or identity verification taking place. It was later found out that one of Ronan’s killers had bought more than 20 knives online, including by using his mother’s ID.

The measures follow the launch of an end-to-end review commissioned by the home secretary last autumn into the sale of knives online, the results of which were published on Wednesday.

The review exposed "lethal loopholes" in the sale of knives and revealed a "lack of minimum standards for age verification and delivery checks".

Under the new legislation, the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s will also be increased from six months to up to two years, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a chief executive of a company.

The Home Office said that its tougher rules would prevent illegal resales happening across social media accounts.

The higher penalty will also apply to the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons, like the recently banned zombie-style knives.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime commander Stephen Clayman, who carried out the review, identified a discrepancy in current legislation which means there is more leniency for illegally selling weapons, including zombie knives, than possessing one.

The government will also introduce a new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence to the Crime and Policing Bill. This offense, which means that it is a crime whether a weapon in possession is legal or not, will carry a prison sentence of up to four years.

Additionally, it is exploring through a consultation later this year whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers are able to sell knives.

This follows the government’s recent announcement that it will "significantly strengthen ID checks" on the sale and delivery of knives.

Last month, John Lewis announced it had rolled out an AI-driven age check tool for sales of knives online.

The company is the first major retailer to add facial age estimation at the checkout to approve digital knife sales.

The move means that the company can now begin selling kitchen knives through its website again as the process ensures that only those aged 18+ can purchase the items.

John Lewis removed kitchen knives from sale online in 2009, while cutlery knives were removed in 2022, in line with government legislation.

It is a legal requirement for retailers to include age verification at point of purchase when customers buy knives online.

“It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result," said home secretary Yvette Cooper. "Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk."

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