Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
New test purchasing data* published today (Thursday August 29) by the National Trading Standards shows that children have been able to buy knives from small independent stores and some of the biggest names on the high street, despite some major retailers pledging** to stop the sale of knives to children.
Of 2,231 tests, carried out by National Trading Standards in England and Wales between 1 April 1 2018 and March 31 2019, retailers failed to prevent the sale of a knife to a child on 344 separate occasions.
Poundland, Home Bargains, Asda and Tesco sold knives to children at least 15 times each during the tests. Separately, 100 online test purchases were carried out; children were sold a knife on 41 occasions.
Some retailers have taken action since the tests began to introduce new steps to help prevent the sale of knives to children.
Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “Restricting the sale of knives to children is clearly a difficult issue for retailers, especially those with large numbers of outlets, staff and delivery partners, and I am aware that many retailers are working incredibly hard to train staff and introduce robust procedures to stem the flow of knives to children.
“But let’s be clear – it’s illegal to sell a knife to a child. Our tests show that it’s still too easy for a child to buy a knife in store or online. We know that young people are being cautioned and convicted for knife crime offences, and as such I urge all retailers to do more. Do you need to sell knives? If you do, can you remove them from shelves and have them available either from a locked cabinet or via a specific till for customers, as already happens with cigarettes – where this is a legal requirement? Are your procedures and those of your delivery partners robust? Can you do more mystery shopping of your own to test how well your own processes are applied?
“The Trading Standards community will continue to play our part by promoting best practice, providing advice to businesses, monitoring retailers’ activity and taking proportionate enforcement action. We need to make sure Trading Standards Services have enough funds to do this important work.”
National Trading Standards said it ‘recognises it is very complex for businesses with multiple outlets to prevent sales of knives to under 18s and the law in this area is clear that if a retailer has adopted the correct procedures and ensured they are implemented, there is no offence.’
Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Kit Malthouse added: “I am deeply concerned to see some retailers are breaking the law and I expect them to take urgent action to stop young people from getting hold of knives in the first place. Our Offensive Weapons Act will also help stop knives and weapons making their way onto our streets and being used to carry out appalling attacks.”
Local authorities have routinely undertaken test purchasing of knives. For the last two years the Home Office has provided additional funds to National Trading Standards to supplement this work. This is a pilot scheme and is one part of a multi-faceted approach to reducing knife crime. The work of this programme is ongoing and will include further test purchasing. A range of enforcement powers are available including cautions, warnings and prosecutions.”
National Trading Standards has issued the following guidance for retailers:
- Store knives securely in locked cabinets behind a specific counter.
- Ensure all staff are made aware that knives are age-restricted products and receive regular training and refreshers on an ongoing basis.
- Operate age restricted policies: no ID, no sale.
- Sign up to and adhere to the voluntary Code to restrict sales of knives to children https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sale-of-knives-voluntary-agreement-by-retailers/sale-of-knives-voluntary-agreement-by-retailers
- Carry out mystery shopping to ensure procedures are being followed.
** Details of the voluntary code are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sale-of-knives-voluntary-agreement-by-retailers/sale-of-knives-voluntary-agreement-by-retailers
For more information go to: https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/underage-sales/knives-and-other-bladed-items
