Ronan Kanda's campaigning mother backs Sir Keir Starmer's knife crime pledge

Sir Keir Starmer promised bereaved families in the West Midlands who have lost loved ones to knife crime that the sellers of zombie knives will be in the cross hairs of a Labour government.

The family of schoolboy Ronan Kanda is among those who have demanded an absolute ban on the sale of the lethal blades. It comes after it was revealed the 16-year-old was murdered in Wolverhampton by attackers who picked up their weapons, including a ninja sword, online.

Sir Keir Starmer says he has decided to make the pledge because of inaction from the Government.

Promising a “comprehensive ban” he said he would toughen laws on a wider range of weapons and toughen rules on serration and length.

The Government has responded to campaigns, including a 10,000-name petition collected by Ronan’s family, by saying it will bring forward legislation.

But nothing has happened since that pledge in August and Sir Keir said it was urgent action was taken, accusing the Government of “letting a generation down” by failing to fulfil “grand promises of action”.

Labour said zombie knives, Rambo knives, swords and machetes were among weapons were currently too easily available.

Sir Keir said he owed it to families of those who have died to act, saying: “The tragic cost is being felt by too many. Young people are being killed or maimed, and communities are blighted by fear.”

Actor Idris Elba last week launched his own campaign, meeting the family of Ronan Kanda. He said the West Midlands was currently at the heart of the crisis.

Ronan’s mother Pooja said: “I welcome Sir Keir Starmer’s promise. I agreed with everything he says. What the Government is doing now is not good enough. Obviously we were grateful for the Government’s legislation on the ban but nothing seems to have happened since.

“There are too many loopholes so these sellers are still selling these blades and youngsters can still buy them. We want a ban on ninja swords, which was the weapon used to kill Ronan.

“Sellers are very clever with these loopholes, if the ban is on 18 inch blades, they will just sell 17.9 inches. Our MP Pat McFadden has helped a lot introducing us to people in Westminster and would have spoken to Sir Keir about Ronan and the ban which we want.

“Idris Elba asked us to help his campaign and I think that has made a difference with the publicity he generated.”

She added: “I will be supporting Labour if they win but I will also be keeping Sir Keir Starmer to his word if he gets elected. I will not forget what he has promised. I will not stop campaigning because I do not want any other parents to go through what I am.

“Every day I wake up with the pain knowing I lost my Ronan to knife crime, and I know I will always wake up with that pain for the rest of my life."

Pooja Kanda features in a documentary about knife crime in the Black Country produced by the Express & Star Team.

The film is premiering tonight (Thursday) on Shots! Freeview 276 at 8.25pm.

You can also stream it now by visiting https://www.shotstv.com/watch/vod/52297933