Exclusive: 'terror threat' from handclaws, deathstars & samurai axes s

The deadly arsenal of seized weapons has sparked fears at least some of the "staggering" cache could fall into the hands of terrorists walking the streets of Britain.  Tens of

thousands of knives, swords, axes and truncheons are seized by UK Border Force officers every year. The stash includes martial arts weapons and stealth devices designed to go undetected by

the police. But the true scale of arms being smuggled into the UK is likely to be far higher as the figures, released by the Home Office today, do not include firearms. And concerns have

been raised by a senior Labour MP of the threat they could pose, coming less than two months after the Paris terror attacks. Among the terrifying array of weaponry heading to Britain is the

kusari gama - an axe-like weapon connected to a metal chain and heavy iron weight that can be used as a whip - with more than a dozen of the lethal weapons impounded over the past five

years. More than 10,000 knuckle dusters have also been confiscated by the authorities from people seeking to enter the UK over the period. Hundreds of death stars - samurai-style ‘throwing

blades’ - were also stopped from entering the country. Dozens of handclaws - reminiscent of the comic superhero Wolverine - are also being seized each year. A total of 33,253 dangerous

weapons have been confiscated at UK ports since 2010. Citing security issues, the Home Office refused to confirm which sea or airports the weapons were confiscated from. "Border Force

officers use some of the most high-tech equipment available to keep offensive weapons off our streets and we keep this intelligence-led work under continued review to ensure we are always

using the most effective approach. "Anyone caught trying to smuggle dangerous weapons into the country will have them confiscated and could face prosecution.”