LONDON: Britain says bosses of social media companies and online marketplaces could be personally fined if they fail to tackle the sale and promotion of dangerous and illegal knives on their platforms , according to proposals published Wednesday.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said an epidemic of knife crime was devastating families and communities across the country, and the Government was on a mission to halve it over the next decade.

“This means tough new penalties for tech executives who fail to combat illegal knife sales on their platforms, as well as a complete ban on ninja swords,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. .