Three shops in Swindon were caught selling knives and sharp objects to teenagers in an undercover operation.
A joint exercise between Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Police saw cadets aged between 15 and 17 visit several shops in the town and attempt to buy a knife or bladed item.
Three shops in the town sold the teens the blades, with two requesting ID but then failing to verify the age correctly.
The operation has been labelled “very successful in terms of raising awareness of knife crime” by a police inspector, whilst a councillor said he was “disappointed” that three retailers “failed to comply with their legal obligations”.
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Legally, no-one under the age of 18 should be allowed to buy dangerous sharp objects.
Cadets went to eight businesses during the operation on Saturday (May 20), with three failing the test by selling a block of knives, garden shears and a small axe.
One retailer did not challenge the teen, despite having a ‘Challenge 25’ policy in place.
The three stores that failed the test were Swindon branches of national chains, so they will be reported to their Primary Authority Trading Standards services for further investigation.
Further test purchases will be conducted in the future to ensure the correct procedures are being followed by shops in the borough.
Swindon has been rocked by several incidents of knife crime in recent months, most notably the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Owen Dunn in December.
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Coun Jim Grant is Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for communities and Joint working.
He said: “Tackling knife crime in Swindon is one of our top priorities and we are determined to do all we can, working with our partners, to keep people safe in our town.
“It is really important we carry out test purchasing operations like this because it serves as an important reminder to retailers of their responsibilities around the sale of knives.
“I am disappointed three retailers failed to comply with their legal obligations but, on a positive note, I was pleased to see that five stores complied with the law and refused to sell knives and bladed items to children.
“Clearly there is still work to be done with retailers, but our Trading Standards officers will continue to work with businesses to ensure we take a zero-tolerance approach to underage knife sales.
“Retailers should be aware that it is a criminal offence to sell knives and bladed items to children.
"A summary conviction carries a penalty of six months imprisonment or a fine of £5,000, or both.”
This test purchase formed part of the Operation Sceptre national anti-knife crime campaign.
Inspector David Tippetts, of Wiltshire Police, added: “We are working with the public and our partners to try and reduce the number of knife-related crimes we have in Swindon.
“Part of that work involves ensuring that young people are not able to easily pick up and buy knives from shops – hence the operation with Trading Standards using our Police Cadets.
“Everyone in society can do their bit to help reduce knife crime in our town and this includes businesses which sell knives.
“The operation has been very successful in terms of raising awareness of knife crime and how we can all work together – the police, the local authority and our communities - to help prevent it.”
The police hope that Operation Sceptre, which has become an annual initiative since 2015, will showcase the ways in which it is working to reduce knife crime and tackle violence, from the root cause to enforcement.
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