Shops Fined for Selling Knives to Children

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Undercover crackdown on illegal sales

Two high street shops are paying the price for selling knives to children following an investigation by Ealing Council’s Regulatory Services officers.

The companies, Tiger Retail Limited and Poundstretcher Limited were both found guilty in court for selling knives to children following an operation by the council’s trading standard officers.

Tiger Retail Limited appeared at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 4 November and was fined £1,500 for selling a kitchen knife to a 15-year-old school girl during an undercover operation in the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre store. They were also ordered to pay Ealing Council’s costs of £1,900.

Appearing on Thursday, 28 October, at Ealing Magistrates’ Court, Poundstretcher Limited was fined £2,000 for selling a knife to a minor in their Hanwell store. They were ordered to pay Ealing Council’s costs of £1,492. Enforcement action was taken after a 15-year-old girl was sold a 4.5 inch utility knife without being asked for proof of her age.

Councillor Ranjit Dheer, cabinet member for Safer Communities, said: “It is alarming to hear how easily these children were able to buy knives without being questioned. Retailers have a responsibility to the community to be more vigilant and must take more robust measures to ensure that nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to buy knifes. We do not want knives on our streets and we will continue to take serious action against any traders caught breaking the law.”

 

 

10 November 2010