UK police forces snapping up anti-blade gloves due to knife crime epidemic

Police officers are increasingly having to grab machetes and swords by the blade to stop themselves or colleagues being maimed or killed as the UK knife crime epidemic continues, it has emerged.

The manufacturer of anti-slash clothing company revealed it has seen sales to police forces of its specialist cut-resistant gloves increase five-thousand-fold as the blade problem shows no sign of abating.

There were 50,500 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023 according to new figures released by (ONS).

This resulted in a sharp increase of 4.7 per cent compared to 2021/22 with an uptick in shocking pushing the issue to the forefront.

The Labour Government last month launched a new coalition to tackle knife crime and stop young people being dragged into violent gangs.

The ONS also reported that of the 244 fatal stabbings in England and Wales in the 12 months ending with March 2023 - 101 were committed with kitchen knives which far surpassed any type of blade, including so-called Zombie knives.

Online retailer, Bladerunner, which produces anti-slash clothing, including the gloves, said police officers were increasingly at risk from blade attacks.

The London-based firm said orders for its cut-resistant gloves by police forces had increased by five thousand per cent in the past 12 months.

And it is not a rise on previous small numbers, as the firm said is is now selling hundreds of thousands of the gloves to forces mainly in the south of the country, but interestingly not the Met Police.

Bladerunner CEO Lee Marks said that demand for knife resistant gloves from the Police was its highest by far in the company's near 30-year history and this highlighted how serious the knife crime problem has become in the UK.

Mr Marks said: "Police forces, of course, want to protect their officers and demand - particularly for cut-resistant gloves - is something Bladerunner has simply never seen before in almost three decades of trading.

"The fact is that the hands are the first area of the body injured during a knife attack as the victim tries to fend off an attack. But knife resistant gloves allow anyone who is getting attacked to grab the knife by the blade and steer it away from the body and, hopefully then disarm the attacker.

"Knife attacks often result in death or serious, often life changing, injuries and demand for anti-slash clothing from the very people who protect us this just shows how serious the situation has become with knife crime in the UK."

Bladerunner sells all its products including anti-slash and bite resistant t-shirts, protective tops and jackets, head, neck, and wrist protection, body armour such as bullet-proof clothing and plates and stab protection clothing solely through its online website, mostly to the security companies and the general public.

Mr Marks said cut-resistant gloves was the most popular item by far which Police forces were buying to protect its officers.

The gloves are independently tested by Inspec - a government authorised testing and certification of personal protective equipment organisation.

He said: "These gloves are all tested by independent, authorised UK laboratories and have achieved a level four or five blade cut resistance rating - the highest achievable - and level 4 tear resistance. They are predominantly designed for protection, but they are also thin, comfortable and warm."

Mr Marks said Bladerunner had also received an increase in demand from the public for its anti-slash clothing line which - while looking like ordinary street clothing - protects against knife slashes following a string of high-profile knife attacks in the UK in recent months.

But Mr Marks added: "Yes, the general public can protect themselves with anti-slash and cut-resistant clothing and gloves, but this must not be confused with anti-stab clothing and also our message to anyone who is faced with a knife in the first instance is always to run."

The National Police Chiefs' Council declined to comment on the fact more officers are having to use such gloves.

Union, the Police Federation was contacted for comment.