Online shoppers will have to collect knives in person under Government proposals to tackle sales of blades to children and teenagers. It is already an offence to sell knives to under-18s but the planned measures would mean they cannot be delivered to private property, such as the buyer's home.
Ministers say this would make it harder for under-age purchases to go undetected following warnings that online age verification checks can be sidestepped.
Under the plans anyone who bought a knife on the internet would be required to collect it at a store or another physical premises. Retailers would be responsible for checking the age of all buyers by asking for them to show ID such as a passport or driving licence.
Nims Obunge, CEO of Peace Alliance, a crime reduction and community cohesion charity, said it's great the government is stepping in to tackle the issue, but it won't be the sole solution.
"Being able to go to a physical location to get the knives you feel you definitely need to buy online, that's a deterrent.
"But ultimately we've got to remember most of the knives killing some of the young people are from the kitchen.
"We've got to remember they're coming from the homes, so we've got to ensure stop and search happens with parents, and family members are checking their young people."
Obunge, who's also the Pastor of Freedom Ark, told Premier he has seen first-hand the perils of knives in the wrong hands.
He said: "It's just unfortunate in the period I've been around working with the Peace Alliance, I've buried young people who have been shot or stabbed and I can't number them.
"I've seen families destroyed. I've seen mothers who have lost their mind because they're only child has been killed or imprisoned for violent offences.
"I just feel that as a church and as Christian leaders we have a responsibility to this community, we can't just wait for the police to police our communities.
"We are the gatekeepers. God has positioned us in our cities to make a difference."
The new government drive will also aim to close off a loophole that means police can be powerless to act if they discover knives in someone's home.
A ban on the possession of outlawed weapons such as zombie knives and knuckledusters on private property would mean officers can seize them and make arrests.
Any restrictions will be drawn up so that those who keep weapons for a legitimate purpose, such as cultural items or antiques, are not penalised.
Police have warned of a shift which has seen the proportion of youngsters carrying knives who are linked to gangs fall. Officers say youths are keeping blades on them for reasons including "status" and self-protection, as well as crime.
Obunge told Premier that Christians should take ownership of the issue and do their part to reverse the trend.
He said: "The Bible tells us to 'seek the peace of the city for which God has caused to be elders and pray to the Lord for it'. I think we should seek the wisdom of God prayerfully.
"We should engage with those who are victims and offenders we should work with the statutory authorities that are working to try and deter knife crime in our communities."
Listen to Nims Obunge speaking with Premier's Tola Mbakwe here:
