Call for 'more responsible stance' on knife sales after Iceland move
Police have urged retailers to take a "more responsible stance" over the sale of blades ahead of new legislation to clampdown on knife crime.
Supermarket chain Iceland became the latest retailer to sign a voluntary policy agreeing to the responsible sale of knives at its 1,000-plus UK stores.
It joins the likes of Aldi, Asda, John Lewis, Sainsbury's, TK Maxx and Wilko in signing up to the agreement, which has been in place since 2016 and was revised earlier this year.
West Midlands Police Federation chair Richard Cooke welcomed the move and said it was time for other retailers to "take action".
It follows a Government announcement of plans for new legislation on the sale of machetes, which came after a campaign by the Express & Star was backed by politicians and senior police officers from across the region.
Sgt Cooke, who has called for an outright ban on the sale of machetes and other vicious blades, said: "I am pleased to see that Iceland, along with multiple other retailers are taking a more responsible stance when it comes to the sale of knives.
"We have got to fight knife crime on all fronts, and that includes a clampdown on supply. I’d now like to see even more retailers taking action and signing the agreement."
Under the Offensive Weapons Act, which was passed in 2019, retailers must ensure existing policies for age restricted items are applied to the sale of knives, while all blades must be displayed and packaged securely so as to minimise risk.
Sgt Cooke said while the move was a "step in the right direction", a ban on machete sales would make more of an impact when it came to "stopping these offenders".
The West Midlands has the highest rate of knife crime in the country, with a number of violent incidents taking place in the region this year.
They include the fatal stabbings of Bailey Atkinson, 20, and Akeem Francis-Kerr, 29, who were knifed to death in separate incidents in Walsall.
Speaking in the Commons, Labour frontbencher Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East, said knife crime was "taking a devastating toll" on the region's communities.
He said he had recently spent time with the devastated family of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death in June just yards from his Wolverhampton home.
Mr McFadden said: "Can I urge the Minister to bring in this ban on the sale of machetes and similar knives as soon as possible, as one step towards tackling knife crime and trying to ensure that fewer families have to face the grief felt by the Kanda family over the loss of Ronan and the many other families carrying a similar burden of grief?"
