Shops caught out in knife test purchases (From News Shopper)

Shops caught out in knife test purchases

9:19am Wednesday 23rd July 2008 in Bexley

STAFF at two more Woolworths stores have been caught selling knives to underage teenagers.

In June a test purchase at the company's Sidcup store, just weeks after the stabbing of teenager Rob Knox nearby, saw a knife sold to a 15-year-old youth.

Bexley Council's trading standards team decided to test all the Woolworths stores in the borough this month, to see if its staff had taken note of the council's warnings.

In test purchases carried out on July 10, staff at the Sidcup High Street store refused the sale, and so did shop assistants in the Bexleyheath and Welling stores.

But at the store in Blackfen Road, Blackfen, an undercover 15-year-old bought a six-inch cook's knife.

And the company's shop in Pier Road, Erith, sold him an eight-inch carving knife.

People need to be aged over 18 to buy a knife but, despite this, there is no legal power to serve fixed penalty notices on staff who make the sales.

Bexley has decided against taking legal action against the company so far, preferring to shame it through bad publicity.

The council encourages all shops to ask for proof of age from anyone who looks aged under-21 before selling a knife.

A Woolworths spokesman said: "The underage sales of knives is something we take extremely seriously.

"We train all store staff and there are till prompts in place."

She added: "We will be investigating the incidents which took place immediately."