Seven shops in Plymouth fail knife sales test

Young volunteers working with police tried to buy blades at 21 shops in the city

Some of the blades volunteers tried to buy in the test purchase operation
Author: Simon McleanPublished 3rd Jun 2024

Seven stores in Plymouth have failed a police operation to try and stop underage sales of knives.

Undercover cadets visited 21 stores in the city to test whether they were sticking to the rules on Saturday 18th of May,

The operation also aimed to confirm shop workers understood the law in relation to selling bladed articles to prevent them being purchased by people under the age of 18.

Plain-clothed officers were joined by Citizens in Policing, as two Police Cadets under the age of 18 volunteered to take part in the operation. .

The team attempted to purchase different types of bladed articles, from craft knives and fishing knives to regular kitchen knife sets.

Of the 21 retailers visited, 14 passed by following the ‘Challenge 25’ protocol, requesting ID at the earliest opportunity and refusing to sell the bladed article to the young person.

No offences were committed during this test purchase operation, as a plain-clothed police officer stepped in before the purchase took place, to inform the retailer they had failed.

Had the sale continued, the seven stores that failed would have committed the offence of selling knives to persons under the age of 18, which could have led to a fine or prison.

“Gathering this information is important in helping the police and our partners to understand where education and training is lacking” said Inspector Paul Laity. “Whilst the results cause concern, this presents an opportunity for the police and Trading Standards to work closely with retailers across the city to improve education around the legalities, risks and penalties associated with selling bladed articles to underage people.”

Each store's given a pass or fail letter from the police, with information on the National Business Crime Centre's Knife Retailer Toolkit, which provides information on what to do, and what not to do.

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