Poundland removes kitchen knives from stores in wake of stab attacks
Poundland has stopped selling kitchen knives at all of its West Midlands stores following a series of stabbings.
The Midlands-based discount retailer said the decision to take knives of the shelves of 59 shops was in response to 'colleague and community concern' over knife crime.
The Black Country has been rocked by a spate of stabbings in recent months, sparking calls for tougher measures around the sale of knives.
Fifteen-year-old Keelan Wilson was stabbed to death in Merry Hill, Wolverhampton, in May.
A man was then left with serious injuries in a machete attack in the Heath Town area of the city.
James Brindley, 26, was killed as he walked home from a night out in Aldridge last year, weeks before 24-year-old Ryan Passey was knifed in the Chicago's nightclub in Stourbridge.
It comes after Poundland removed knives from its stores in London in April. The company said it planned to stop the sale of knives at all UK and Ireland stores by autumn.
Retail director, Austin Cooke, said: “The decision to stop selling kitchen knives not only in the West Midlands, but nationwide, is a commitment that we know means a lot to both our colleagues and our customers.
"For a long time they’ve expressed their concern around the associated risk of having knives available and the unfortunate truth is that in the wrong hands, knives can be used for the wrong purpose.
“The safety of our colleagues and customers is crucial and we hope our fellow retailers will follow our lead.”
Poundland has previously taken steps over the sale of knives, including ensuring they are only sold in sealed plastic packaging and in aisles monitored by CCTV. But it is now moving to an outright ban.
Bosses said they had prioritised the West Midlands after a recent Home Office report revealed it experienced the biggest increase in knife crime of any part of the country outside London.
That report showed crimes in the area involving a knife or sharp instrument had risen by more then 1,000 a year in between September 2014 and September 2017.
