The latest victim of zombie knife crime in the UK has been named as 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was tragically killed on her way to school this week.

Tributes have poured in for the south London student and aspiring lawyer who was reportedly knifed in the neck with a foot-long, serrated zombie blade. A 17-year-old boy is being questioned by police in relation to the murder.

Andam’s senseless death highlights the ongoing plight of zombie blades on the streets of the capital.

Her death also comes less than a month after the Home Office announced new measures to ban the sale and use of zombie blades and machetes in the UK. In line with the new measures, police were due to receive more power to seize and destroy “menacing” weapons as part of the crackdown on bladed weapons.

A maximum two-year prison sentence could be handed down to anyone found in possession. Those manufacturing and selling zombie knives could also face prison time.

So what exactly is a zombie knife?

What is a zombie knife?

A zombie knife is a bladed weapon that has been increasingly linked to violent crimes and gang use. Inspired by zombie films, they often have one smooth blade and one serrated edge.

These knives can come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but they tend to feature graphics or text (whether on the blade or handle) that suggest they should be used for violence.

Past rules on zombie blades

The Government said in 2016 that work was underway to create laws to outlaw zombie knives when Theresa May was the home secretary.

Later the same year, it made an announcement prohibiting the sale, production, and importing of zombie knives in England and Wales.

Although laws have prohibited certain zombie knives since 2016, there have been loopholes in regulation that allowed sales to continue. Some retailers dodged the restrictions by removing threatening words from the weapon.

This implied that, even if they think the weapons were used to commit a crime, police couldn’t seize them if they were discovered in someone's home.

What does the new rule mean?

A new definition was outlined in August that states a zombie-style knife is “any bladed weapon over eight inches in length with a plain cutting edge and sharp pointed end that also has either a serrated cutting edge, more than one hole in the blade, or multiple sharp points like spikes.”

According to Home Office plans police will be given the authority to seize some items with blades, even if they are not illegal. This aims to stop the loophole that allows some retailers to continue selling zombie blades.

The maximum sentence for importing, producing, or providing illegal offensive weapons or selling bladed items to those under the age of 18 has been extended, from six months to two years in prison.

Speaking about the measure, Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “Zombie-style knives and machetes serve no other purpose but to inflate criminal egos and endanger lives. There is no reason to own these types of weapons.”

He added: “That is why we are banning these knives and making sentencing more severe, so our communities can be reassured that this violent criminality will face the punishments they deserve, and lives will be saved.”