SIKH ceremonial knives should be banned from Britain’s streets, Reform’s Robert Jenrick has said.

The party’s Treasury spokesman argued people should not be allowed to carry daggers or swords because of their faith and said everyone should be treated equally under the law.

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Sikh ceremonial knives should be banned from Britain’s streets, Reform’s Robert Jenrick has said Credit: Alamy

Vickrum Digwa, left, was found guilty of murdering Henry Nowak with a 21cm-long knife that he claimed he carried for religious reasons

His comments come after Vickrum Digwa was this week found guilty of murdering Southampton University student Henry Nowak with a 21cm-long knife that he claimed he carried for religious reasons.

However, prosecutors told the jury Digwa was wearing a small ceremonial kirpan associated with his Sikh faith but also carried a separate larger blade which they said was used in the killing.

Mr Jenrick told LBC: “This was a killer who, in fact, had a whole arsenal of weapons at home, and so may well have just been intent on killing this young man, regardless of whether or not he had a religious ceremonial knife.

“But do I think that there is a role on the streets of our country for daggers and swords?

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“No, I don’t, and neither do I think that people should be treated differently before the law, that someone, because of the faith that they hold, should be able to carry a sword or a dagger, but somebody who has a different faith doesn’t.

“We should be treated equally, and I don’t think there is a role for these knives and swords and daggers, and so on, on the streets of our country.”

Asked whether such blades should be banned, he replied: “That’s my view.Yes.”

He added that any formal policy decision would be a matter for Reform UK’s Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf.