Within 22 minutes of new legislation coming into force banning zombie knives in the UK, officers in Oxford have made an arrest.

Following attendance at an address in the city at 12.22am this morning (September 24) a zombie knife was located during a property search.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “A 29-year-old man from Oxford has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a bladed article in a private place and affray and he remains in police custody at this time.

“The arrest relates to an investigation into an affray, which occurred in the city on August 29.

“The man remains in police custody at this time.”

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The legislation, which came into force today (September 24), makes it illegal to own zombie-style knives and machetes.

Ahead of the new ban coming into force, people were urged to hand them over at police stations across England and Wales or to dispose of these weapons using surrender bins.

Policing Minister, Diana Johnson said: "Too many people have access to weapons that can lead to devastating, life-changing consequences.

"There is no legitimate need for a weapon of this kind to be in our homes or on our streets.

"Implementing a ban on zombie-style knives is just the first step in our ambitious, dedicated plan to halve knife crime within a decade, and will closely be followed by making ninja swords illegal."

A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said: "We believe this to be one of the first arrests of this nature since the ban came into force at midnight on Tuesday."