Teens buying knives online face double age verification & ban on doorstep drops following knife rampage of Rudakubana

TEENS trying to buy knives online face double age verification and a ban on doorstep drops following the horrific murders of three young girls in Southport.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the tough measures after Axel Rudakubana, 17 at the time, was able to buy his deadly weapon on Amazon in seconds.

Under the plans, to be included in the Crime and Policing Bill expected by the spring, buyers will have to submit photo ID when purchasing a knife, and then show the ID on delivery.

It will also be illegal to leave a package containing potential deadly weapons on a doorstep where anyone could pick it up.

Rudakubana was given a life sentence with a minimum 52-year term for killing Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, last July 29.

Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun last week he will urgently change the law to stop under-18s bypassing online age checks.

Ms Cooper said little had been done since Ronan Kanda, 16, was killed by two 17 year olds in Wolverhampton in 2022.

She added: “It’s a total disgrace how easy it still is for children to get dangerous weapons online.

“More than two years after Ronan Kanda was killed with a ninja sword bought by a teenager online, too many retailers don’t have proper checks in place.

“It’s too easy to put in false birth dates, parcels are too often being dropped off at a doorstop with no questions asked.

“We cannot go on like this. We need much stronger checks — before you buy, before it’s delivered.”

A review into the online sale of knives is due to be published this week.

At Rudakubana’s sentencing on Thursday, prosecutors said he bought two identical knives from Amazon on July 13, 2024, taking steps to hide his identity.

Amazon said it took its responsibility around the sale of bladed products “extremely seriously” and had launched an investigation.

Yesterday Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC that social media platforms must remove violent content such as that viewed by Rudakubana.