German interior minister wants public ban on blades longer than 6cm

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has further clarified her plans to tighten weapons legislation on the use of knives.

In her view, it is not clear why anyone would need to carry a knife with a blade of more than 6 centimetres, she said on Monday after a visit to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the country's domestic intelligence agency, in Cologne.

At the same time, she said that "6 centimetres is OK. That's a small fruit knife if you're travelling somewhere and want to have a picnic. But that's all you 'need.'"

It emerged at the weekend that Faeser wants to tighten the laws governing the carrying of blades in response to an increase in knife attacks.

Under the plan, knives will only be allowed to be carried in public with blade lengths up to 6 rather than the current 12 centimetres.

She told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that she also wanted to create a general ban on handling dangerous switchblade knives. Changes to weapons legislation will be presented shortly.

However, Faeser said in Cologne that in addition to a change in weapons legislation, other controls need to be put in place. "Gun and knife ban zones can and should be imposed by the local authorities," she said.

Local authorities had been asked to impose gun ban zones during the European Football Championship. "But this is an appeal. That's all it can be from my point of view. I can't order that," said Faeser.

She also made it clear there would be exceptions. "If someone has just bought a large knife to use in their kitchen, then of course it would be covered by the exceptions," she said.