Crack down on Nottinghamshire businesses selling knives to children
One in five of those tested failed to check ID and refuse service
It's been uncovered that some shops in Nottinghamshire - aren't carrying out proper checks - and will sell knives to children.
Police are cracking down on this, performing test purchases, in which just 20% of shops failed.
Sergeant Matt Daley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Test purchasing helps us work closely with national and independent retailers to strengthen compliance, and ultimately keep everyone safe.
“Knives sold unlawfully can quickly end up in the hands of young people, which is simply not acceptable.
“This latest operation included locations where intelligence indicated young people may have been buying knives, and we are now working with any retailers who failed an inspection to improve standards and take appropriate action.
“The message is clear; knives ruin lives and there is never any excuse for anyone to be carrying these weapons on our streets.
“We know that some young people believe a knife offers them protection, but the reality is you are at a greater risk of being seriously, even fatally, injured by your own weapon.
“We are committed to tackling knife crime all year round; however, these operations are an important reminder of the role retailers play alongside us in helping to prevent knives getting into the wrong hands.”
Nottinghamshire Police’s knife crime team conducted a test purchase operation at retailers across Nottingham city centre on 22 November.
The operation saw two police cadets aged under 18 attempt to buy knives from the businesses to test whether shop staff would sell the blades to a child without ID.
In total, 25 shops were visited, including independent and national retailers.
Five of these stores failed to conduct the necessary checks to verify the customer's age and refuse service.
Those who failed were provided with further training and guidance to help them meet legal requirements and prevent knives from getting into the wrong hands.
If a venue fails the test, officers can enforce penalties such as warning letters or fines, and in certain circumstances, offences can lead to prosecution.
Incidents can also be referred to Trading Standards for further checks and appropriate follow-up action.
Retailers are encouraged to operate a ‘Challenge 25’ policy to verify the age of customers and ensure that knives are not sold to anyone aged under 18.
Test purchase operations allow Nottinghamshire Police to ensure that businesses and licensed venues don’t sell age-restricted products to young people and ultimately protect children from harm.
The test purchase operation took place during Sceptre, a national police week of action to tackle knife crime, which also saw police staff deliver an educational roadshow at colleges in Worksop, Mansfield, Basford, and Nottingham city centre.