Discount stored fined for selling knives to teen
GoogleA discount retail store has been fined £12,500 for selling knives to a 16-year-old.
The teenager was able to buy a pack of three knives at Bargain World on High Street in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, in November 2024, magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre were told on Monday.
The cashier did not ask for the volunteer's age or to see ID. The till had a prompt system in place for restricted items, but it did not recognise the knife pack.
No-one from the business – Bargain World (BBM) Ltd – was present in court but it was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and costs of £998.
The transaction took place just six months after Bargain World in Smallthorne received a £6,000 fine for an underage sale in May 2024, the court heard.
In August 2023, Trading Standards officers visited the Smallthorne store with three volunteers aged 14 to 15 and an axe was sold to one of the teenagers during a test purchase.
Magistrates heard in May 2024 that steps had been taken since the test purchase to prevent a re-occurrence.
Ms Round, prosecuting the latest case on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said council officers visited the Tunstall shop in October 2024 with a letter in relation to age restrictions on knife sales and posters to put on display.
The 16-year-old bought the knives a month later.
"This is clearly a matter for public concern given the serious implications of knife crime, and ensuring bladed articles do not fall into the hands of people under 18," she said.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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