A number of stores across the Fylde coast sold a bladed item to an underage person in a recent test purchase operation.
Police officers recently teamed up with Trading Standards and young volunteers from across the Fylde Coast to conduct an under-age sales operation as part of Operation Sceptre – a national, intensive week of action to tackle knife crime.
The exercise, which took place on Saturday (9th November 2024), aimed to ensure that local businesses across the Fylde Coast are complying with the legislation and that those under the age of 18 are unable to purchase knives.
Five stores failed across Blackpool and Fylde and two stores failed in Wyre by selling a bladed item to an underage volunteer.
Six of them were issued with a warning and will be revisited in the future to ensure they are complying with legislation. One store failed for a second time, and they will now be subject to further enforcement action.
Sergeant Dan Whitaker, from the Violence Reduction Network, said: “It is important that we continue to test local businesses to ensure they’re complying with the law.
“We will continue to run operations like this with our partners, to ensure knives do not get into the hands of young people.”
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