Weapons Hoard of 219 Items Surrendered After Safety Check Removes Illegal Blades and Replicas from the Community

A van full of swords, nunchucks and even a light machine‑gun collection wasn’t quite what anyone expected this week, but that’s exactly what the Community Safety Unit found during an address check at Tenterden after concerns were raised about possible offensive weapons at a property.
 

A van was called out—not for the occupant, but because the weapons themselves needed the transport. PC Laker recovered 191 weapons of every imaginable type: flick knives, lock knives, akimbo daggers, machetes, zombie knives, katanas, nunchucks, maces, axes and enough swords to equip a medieval reenactment group twice over.
 

Alongside those were 28 additional imitation firearms, including a crossbow and imitation revolvers, shotguns, pistols, rifles, Glocks and even light machine guns.

The occupant had no malicious intent—just a very enthusiastic collecting hobby and no awareness that legislation had changed. But this situation highlights more than just legal risk. 

Whilst these items — including a number of legal replica pieces — have now been voluntarily surrendered by the owner, the situation still highlights an important point. A large proportion of the collection consisted of illegal offensive weapons.

These prohibited items have now been safely removed from the local community, and we’re working closely with the collector to ensure there’s no repeat of this situation in the future.
 

⚠️ Why this matters

🔍 A quick reminder

If you collect blades, martial arts items, replica firearms or anything that could be mistaken for a weapon or firearm, it’s important to check the current legislation. Some items that were once legal to own are now prohibited, and people can be caught out without realising.

A few minutes of checking could save you a lot of trouble—and prevent a van‑load of surprises later.