The sale of ivory in Britain will be banned in a bid to stop the “abhorrent” slaughter of elephants, Michael Gove has announced in a victory for a campaign backed by the Duke of Cambridge.
The ban will cover ivory items of all ages and anyone who breaches it could face an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.
Mr Gove, the Environment Secretary, said the ban will be “one of the world’s toughest” and it is hoped it will help protect elephant numbers which have declined by almost a third in the last decade with approximately 20,000 a year still slaughtered for their ivory.
The ban will contain exemptions to allow the sale of certain items which contain ivory but have been deemed not to contribute...