CALLS have been made for stronger punishment for retailers who flout the law buy selling knives to underage children.

In test purchases carried out across the country, an underage teenager was sold a machete, another was sold a lock knife and a 14-year-old managed to buy a nine-inch serrated knife despite it being illegal to sell knives to anyone aged under 18.

Following the recent government proposal to ban home delivery of knives to prevent underage sales, the Local Government Association is calling for the retail industry to fund underage test purchasing operations and work more closely with councils to help improve compliance levels.

And the campaign is being backed by an anti-knife campaigner and local business owners.

Theresa Cave, whose son Chris was stabbed to death in 2003, has fought long and hard to get the sales of knives banned while calling for tougher regulation of online sales.

The Redcar mum, who runs the Chris Cave Foundation to tackle knife crime, said: "We have been calling for this for a long time. The majority of shop owners enforce the law but the biggest problem is online sales of knives, particularly these so-called Zombie knives.

"I would urge more test purchases in shops, especially those who are selling them from gift shops and the like."

And Paul Harrison, who runs Kitt Pongo and the Hogman in Darlington, welcomed the call for tighter regulations.

"I would welcome tougher sentences," said the Darlington-based businessman. "We have had teenagers trying to buy knives but we have a very strict policy that there is no sale if they have no ID.

"Even if they do have identification, it doesn't necessarily mean that I will sell them a knife – I it doesn't feel right to sell them it I will just refuse to do so. Knives can be potentially lethal weapons so it is important to make sure they are being sold responsibly."

And a Darlington council spokeswoman added: “In the past year, Darlington Trading Standards has only received one complaint about the sale of knives in the town, which was not related to a sale to anyone under age.

“The Trading Standards team has been focussing its efforts on prevention by offering training to traders on how to comply with the laws that deal with the sale and supply of all age restricted products, including knives.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and act if necessary.”

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said its trading standards officers monitor sales of all types of age-restricted products, including knives, and have the expertise in test purchasing to address any non-compliance with age restrictions.

"In conjunction with North Yorkshire Police, officers have taken part in a recent national project on test purchases of knives, the results of which contributed to the Local Government Association study," he added.

"In tests at five retail premises, two sold to a 15-year-old and in five online shops all sold. On this occasion, these matters were dealt with by advising the shops of the age restriction rules and the need to check a purchaser’s age before selling any age-restricted product by the use of an approved proof of age identity.

"Follow-up action will be taken to monitor compliance with the restrictions." 

The LGA says greater fines and tougher sentences are also needed for irresponsible retailers breaking knife sale laws.

Although most retailers passed test purchases on underage knife sales, council trading standards teams remain concerned with those who broke the law, particularly when latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 34,703 recorded knife crimes in 2016/17, a 20 per cent increase on the previous year.

Those who failed test purchases have either been prosecuted or cautioned, face prosecution or have received warnings and compliance advice on underage knife sales.

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “Knives are lethal weapons in the wrong hands and it’s vital that shops do all they can to prevent them falling into the hands of young people because just one illegal knife sale could have tragic consequences.

“Knife crime has risen significantly in the past year. Clearly there are many different ways that people access knives, whether from home, high street stores or online sales, but we need to make sure that the retail supply of knives is managed robustly across all sales points.

“The recent government announcement on collection points for online knife sales is an encouraging step, but needs to be backed up with action on the high street where the sale of knives needs to be checked consistently, for example, by asking for proof of age if a retailer is unsure the buyer is under 18.

“Tougher sentences, including larger fines, are also needed to reflect the seriousness of selling knives to children.”

Anyone who suspects that knives are being sold illegally should contact their local council’s Trading Standards via Citizens Advice on 03454 040506.