According to a recent report by The Guardian newspaper, kitchen knives have been sold online without the legally required age verification checks via Facebook Marketplace.
The new Offensive Weapons Act makes it a criminal offence to dispatch bladed products sold online without verifying the buyer is over 18. It is also illegal todeliver online sales of bladed products to a residential address without an age verification delivery service.
The Guardian was able to purchase four sets of knives from sellers on Facebook Marketplace without the check that the purchaser is over 18. The knives were delivered a residential address.
The newspaper highlighted that Facebook Marketplace comprises individual sellers that are often consumers. It reported that: ‘A wide selection of culinary knives are available on the social media site, including nine-inch cleaving knives.’
Facebook has removed items since the report.
Meanwhile, according to Local Government Association website in June, some 41% of UK-based online knife retailers made illegal sales to under-18s in a test purchase operation, while shop staff were selling knives to children as young as 14.
A nationwide pilot clampdown against online knife sales to children (backed by National Trading Standards and the Home Office) is currently underway. The first successful prosecution was made by Croydon Council at the end of June.
Hardware retailer, SD International Trading was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay over £2,250 in costs after pleading guilty to selling a knife online to a child.
Cookshops making online sales of knives are among those being targeted for legal prosecutions, with fines for independent retailers reportedly between £8k to £20K. Members of staff selling blades to children may also be liable for convictions.
Top: Image from Croydon Council on its conviction of an ironmongery for the sale of a blade to a 13 year old online.
