Anti-stab knife that can't kill unveiled

Britain's first "anti-stab" knife, designed to chop safely in the kitchen but useless as a weapon, could be on sale by the autumn, under a Home Office-funded project to cut crime. The knife has a rounded point, with a blade for cutting underneath. Its designer says it cuts vegetables, but is almost impossible to use to stab someone.

The New Point knife was developed by industrial designer John Cornock after his wife, Liz, saw a TV documentary in which three doctors advocated banning traditional knives. His idea was picked up by the Home Office's Design and Technology Alliance, a group set up to examine ways of designing products that deter crime.



"It can never be a totally safe knife, but the idea is you can't inflict a fatal wound," said Cornock. "Nobody could just grab one out of the kitchen drawer and kill someone."

The prototype is expected to be given a test run within months.