Posted on Wednesday 21st May 2025
Retailers selling knives in Staffordshire are being reminded of their legal responsibilities, as part of a wider campaign to reduce knife crime across the county.
Trading Standards officers at Staffordshire County Council are working with Staffordshire Police and local Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to support businesses in trading legally and safely.
The joint effort is part of the ongoing Ditch the Blade campaign, which aims to tackle knife crime through education, enforcement and community engagement.
A key focus of the campaign is preventing unlawful underage sales. It is illegal to sell a knife or similar product to anyone under the age of 18. Retailers are strongly encouraged to use the ‘Challenge 25’ policy - asking for photo ID from anyone who appears under 25 - to ensure compliance with the law.
Officers are also advising businesses on best practices for storing knives securely to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and making sure that all staff are properly trained in age-restricted sales procedures.
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Staffordshire County Council, said:
Knife crime is a concern to us all and here in Staffordshire our Trading Standards officers work closely with the police and PCSOs, regularly carrying out test purchases to ensure knives and other age-restricted products are not being sold to under 18s.
Retailers of all sizes must follow the rules, and we’re pleased to see high levels of compliance already. Any business needing advice or support should contact our team. By working together, we’re able to make sure that retailers are not only meeting their legal obligations but also playing a vital role in keeping communities safe.”
Chief Inspector Dave Barrow, Staffordshire Police’s lead for knife crime, said:
We are committed to tackling knife crime in our county and initiatives like this help prevent knives being in circulation on our streets.
It is important that we do everything we can to keep people safe, so it is key for us to inform and educate our partners, our stakeholders and our communities on the dangers of knife crime and the impact it can have.”
People can find out more about the campaign on the Ditch the Blade website. People can report illegal knife sales to Trading Standards on their confidential helpline on 01785 330356.