Slough police checks: Girl buys knife in undercover operation
- Published
A teenager was able to buy a 20cm (8in) carving knife at a self-checkout till during an undercover police operation.
Thames Valley Police said it sent a 17-year-old girl to test retailers in Slough, Berkshire, on Monday.
Two stores failed to check she was 18 before selling her the carving knife and a chef's knife, police said.
Previously, the force said it had "serious concerns" about knife crime in Slough following recent stabbings.
The teenager said: "Essentially I wasn't challenged. An under-age girl or boy could go into a shop and get their hands on an average-sized kitchen knife fairly simply.
"They don't have a clue what someone is doing with that knife once its been bought."
Slough Borough Council is considering whether to prosecute the stores.
Following the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Abdul Aziz Ansari in May 2022, police said there were "serious concerns" about knife crime and violence in Slough.
Operation Deter, a "zero tolerance" approach to knife crime in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, was extended to the town in October.
Earlier in January, a 27ft (8m) high sculpture made from knives arrived in Slough in a bid to raise awareness about violent crime.
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