Alarm over knives being sold to children by retailers

Nearly one in four shops across the area are breaking the law on underage knife sales in some areas, with blades sold to children as young as 13, council trading standards teams reveal today.

In test purchases in one area an underage teenager was sold a machete, another was sold a lock knife and a 14-year-old managed to buy a nine-inch serrated knife.

It is illegal to sell knives to anyone aged under 18.

The Local Government Association said the worrying findings come as latest official figures show a 20 per cent annual rise in knife crime in England and Wales.

It comes as it was revealed staff at West Midlands Ambulance Service, which covers Shropshire, were called out to 583 stabbings between January and June last year - an increase of 90 attacks over the same period just one year earlier. The figures, released following a freedom of information request to the ambulance service, reveal call-outs to attacks involving a blade are now at a five-year high. Staff were also alerted to knife attacks and called out 493 times from January to June 2015, hurrying to almost 4,000 stabbings in the West Midlands between 2012 and 2015.

The LGA includes Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire councils.

Telford & Wrekin Council says it has no plans to conduct any purchases in its area at the moment. Shropshire Council was not available for comment.

Chris Kowalik, of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “Test purchase operations on the sale of knives to under 18s would be led by intelligence received and carried out in conjunction with West Mercia Police. Currently there is no such intelligence received by the council. However if the situation were to change we would take part in multi-agency operations.”

Following the recent government proposal to ban home delivery of knives to prevent underage sales, the LGA is calling for the retail industry to fund underage test purchasing operations. and work more closely with councils to help improve compliance levels.

The LGA says greater fines and tougher sentences are also needed for irresponsible retailers breaking knife sale laws.

Councillor Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Despite most retailers passing test purchases of knives, trading standards teams at councils across the country are uncovering some shocking abuses of the law.

“Knives are lethal weapons in the wrong hands and it’s vital that shops do all they can to prevent them falling into the hands of young people because just one illegal knife sale could have tragic consequences.

“Knife crime has risen significantly in the past year. Clearly there are many different ways that people access knives, whether from home, high street stores or online sales, but we need to make sure that the retail supply of knives is managed robustly across all sales points.

“The recent government announcement on collection points for online knife sales is an encouraging step, but needs to be backed up with action on the high street where the sale of knives needs to be checked consistently, for example, by asking for proof of age if a retailer is unsure the buyer is under 18.

“With councils experiencing ongoing funding pressures, we are calling on the retail industry to step up and fund underage test purchasing activities and liaise with councils to help improve safety standards and compliance with the law on knife sales.

“Councils will be working with retailers to educate them about their responsibilities when it comes to selling knives, continue to carry out test purchasing and won’t hesitate to take enforcement action against anyone selling such dangerous weapons unlawfully.

“Tougher sentences, including larger fines, are also needed to reflect the seriousness of selling knives to children.”