Shopkeeper ordered to pay £2,000 after minor sold pack of knives
A Hackney shopkeeper has been ordered to pay £2,000 after being caught selling a pack of knives to a minor.
Bhupinder Singh Madan, owner of the 98p Shop, 91-93 Kingsland High Street, E8 pleaded guilty to Criminal Justice Act 1988 Section 141A (selling any Knife, Knife blade or razor blade to persons under the age of 18) at Thames Magistrates Court on 15 January 2016.
The prosecution comes after his employee sold a pack of five small paring knives to a cadet under the age of 18 in May 2015, during a Hackney Council Trading Standards operation.
Mr Madan now has posters in his shop stating ‘No ID, No sale’ and he has retrained his employees on underage sales. He no longer sells knives in his shop.
Knife crime devastates families and communities. We will do whatever we can to prevent young people from getting hold of them in the first place.
Local businesses have a responsibility to make sure that they are not selling these potentially lethal weapons to young people. Trading standards officers will continue to carry out operations targeting shops that sell knives, and if we catch anyone selling to someone under 18, we will take the strongest action possible.
Hackney Council and Police started the Hackney Knife Pledge Scheme in 2014 and 27 businesses signed up. Any business selling knives, not currently signed up is encouraged to do so. Businesses will pledge not to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18, and to request identification of every customer believed to be under the legal age. They will also agree to store knives in a safe and secure area to stop self-service and prevent thefts.
Mr Madan was fined £800, £1120 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
Hackney Council and Police also carry out regular estate sweeps across the borough. A knife was found in shrubbery near Bletchley Court, N1 on 18 January, a further 22 were recovered throughout December 2015.
Hackney Trading Standards can be conatced on 020 8356 4929 or trading.standards@hackney.gov.uk
Photo of knife recovered from near to Bletchley Court, N1