Government challenges retailers to strengthen action on marketing of knives – Usdaw calls for protection of retail workers

Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said: “Knife crime destroys lives and devastates families, and everyone involved in the sale of knives has a responsibility to help prevent harm. Businesses and online retailers need to take a hard look at how knives are marketed, sold and displayed, and take every possible step to prevent irresponsible sales. We are making progress, but I want businesses to go further and do everything possible to stop dangerous knives reaching the wrong hands.”

Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “Usdaw fully supports the Government’s determination to tighten up the regulation of the online sale of knives. Having seen the horrors of the Southport murders and knowing that the weapons used in this atrocity were ordered online, it is absolutely crucial that more is done to safeguard against underage sales.

“Important in strengthening the process is the role of the delivery driver, who is legally required to conduct a final age verification on the customer’s doorstep. These checks also apply to all age-restricted products, including alcohol and tobacco. Our members tell us this can be very problematic and they feel vulnerable to attack.

“The Crime and Policing Act includes a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law, which is yet to come into force, but it only applies to in-store staff and not delivery drivers. So, we are looking for the Government to enact the new standalone offence for attacking a shop worker as soon as possible and extend it to vulnerable delivery drivers who are also enforcing the law.”