Three shops under investigation after selling knives to a 16-year-old volunteer.

An underage sales exercise was conducted last week by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s trading standards team as part of Operation Spectre.

An underage sales exercise was conducted last week by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s trading standards team as part of Operation Spectre.

Operation Spectre is a campaign which seeks to educate young people on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife, and to promote responsible sales by knife retailers.

Six premises were tested across the city, and disappointingly three premises in Burslem, Hanley and Tunstall sold a knife to the underage volunteer.

The premises had previously received advice prior to the exercise to promote the ‘Responsible Retailer Scheme’ and were displaying posters at the time of the sale.

Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, said: “We are urging all businesses to remain diligent in their efforts to verify the age of customers before committing to the sale of items with age restrictions.

“Laws and legislation are in place for a valid reason, and we see no reason why this has happened. Especially as teams work hard to support businesses with the appropriate information.
“Staffordshire Police share our vision for making Stoke-on-Trent a cleaner, greener and safer city, this work highlights the importance of that approach.”
 

Chief Inspector David Barrow, the force's knife crime lead, said: “This is a positive step in our commitment to tackling knife crime. We’re pleased to report that several retailers fully complied with the law, refusing to sell knives to underage customers. However, there is still work to be done, as a small number of outlets failed to meet their responsibilities.

“These joint efforts send a clear message: we are determined to keep knives out of the hands of young people and make our communities safer.

“We thank Trading Standards for their partnership and call on all retailers to adhere to their legal obligations to prevent these dangerous items from reaching vulnerable hands.”

To report premises selling age restricted products such as knives, vapes, tobacco or alcohol contact our Trading Standards team on 0808 223 1133, visit www.adviceguide.org.uk or call our fakes hotline on 01782 238884.