BHETA is advising its members who supply bladed items as well as retailers and the sector in general about potential changes under the Crime and Policing Bill 2024–25, which includes proposed new reporting requirements for online bulk knife sales. The Bill is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords and, subject to parliamentary approval, the new measures are likely to be implemented in 2026. The proposals would introduce a legal duty for remote sellers of knives to report certain “bulk” sales to the authorities, as part of efforts to help law enforcement identify patterns of concern related to knife crime. According to BHETA’s interpretation of the current draft — which remains under review — the proposed Online Bulk Reporting Duty would apply to all remote knife sales (including website, telephone, and mail order) for deliveries to England and Wales.
BHETA’s Chief Operating Officer, Will Jones explained, “BHETA continues to lobby Government, Trading Standards, the police and other lobbying groups on the safest, fairest, and most productive way forward, but is meanwhile advising the industry on the actions it needs to take.”
Key points where reporting would be required include:
· A consumer buys six or more individual knives
· Purchases two or more qualifying knife sets (e.g. kitchen blocks), or orders one qualifying set plus five or more individual knives within a 30-day period.
Multiple purchases sent to the same residential address within 30 days may also be aggregated for reporting. While kitchen and cutlery knives without sharp points are excluded from the legislation, in-store sales are excluded from the reporting duty, and B2B transactions are exempt if the buyer is VAT-registered or a registered company, non-compliance on the above could result in a criminal offence and fine - although there is a defence where sellers can demonstrate due diligence.
The BHETA campaign
BHETA launched its Bulk Online Selling of Knives campaign in 2025 to minimise the potential impact of the new proposals on legitimate suppliers and retailers, while continuing to support the goal of reducing knife crime. Since the campaign began, BHETA has:
· Facilitated member participation in a major online meeting hosted by the Metropolitan Police during the summer, enabling members to hear directly from officers about how the proposals might work in practice.
· Engaged with both the Police and the Home Office to seek clarification and improvements to the draft legislation.
· Submitted a formal letter to the Home Office, highlighting operational and practical concerns within the proposed framework.
· Produced and circulated Interim Guidance Notes to members, providing a plain-language interpretation of the draft legislation and helping businesses assess the potential scale of reportable transactions.
Next Steps
BHETA will continue to engage with the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office as the Bill progresses through Parliament, ensuring the final guidance issued by the Secretary of State is clear, practical, and proportionate.
Commenting on the situation, Steve Richardson, BHETA Marketing Director, said. “BHETA fully supports measures to help prevent knife crime, but it’s vital that any reporting obligations are workable and fair for responsible businesses. We’ve been proactive in representing members’ interests to both the Police and the Home Office, and we’ll continue to press for clarity and proportionality as the legislation moves forward.”
BHETA’s Interim Guidance for Knife Sellers (29 August 2025) remains available to members. This guidance is based on draft legislation only and should not yet be used to set up formal reporting systems. For further updates, BHETA will continue to communicate with members as the Bill advances and final Home Office guidance becomes available.
