DIYWEEK.net

A Poundland store has had to pay more than £4,000 after being caught selling a knife to a 17-year-old.
An east London branch of Poundland has had to pay more than £4,000 after being caught selling a knife to a 17-year-old.

The Romford store has been ordered to pay £4,030 in fines and court costs after selling the seven-and-a-half inch blade to a teenager as part of a council sting.

The store pleaded guilty after selling the carving knife to a 17-year-old volunteer working with Havering Council's Trading Standards department.

Havering Magistrates' Court heard in November the sales assistant who sold the knife did not ask the age of the volunteer or ask for identification.

The court also heard the same store had a similar conviction from 2005 when it was ordered to pay £3,000 in fines and court costs.

In mitigation the firm said it has recently put in place a better system of training and sanctioning employees and has retrained the part-time employee responsible for selling the knife.

The council's principal trading standards officer Bill Adams, said: "We will continue to carry out test purchasing operations so that the message goes out loud and clear to stores and shopkeepers – we don't want people carrying knives on our streets."