Two year campaign against sword sales hailed as a success

11.10.28am GMT Thu 13th Dec 2007

A two year campaign started by Cllr David Ward against the display and sale swords and knives finally paid off yesterday when the Government announced that the import, sale and hire of samurai swords would be banned from April 2008.

Cllr David Ward has campaigned for two years to make it illegal to sell swords like this

Cllr Ward said,

" In December 2005 I contacted Trading Standards about an open display of knives, swords and replica firearms at a shop in the centre of Bradford. At the time I was told that it was legal and there was nothing the police or Trading Standards could do.

It is disturbing for people walking past the shops and some of these weapons were clearly going to be bought by people who wanted to carry them with evil intentions. It flies in the face of everything that is said about making the streets safer. "