Amazon UK and other major retailers have signed up to a new crackdown on the sale of knives to children and teenagers.
A number of chains and online stores have committed to requiring proof of age at point of purchase, collection or delivery.
It comes just weeks after a 16-year-old was convicted of killing Aberdeen schoolboy Bailey Gwynne with a knife he had ordered from Amazon – which was delivered to his shed so his mother would not know.
Home Secretary Theresa May announced the news of the voluntary agreement yesterday, during a policing conference in London.
She said the government had struck an agreement with retailers on a set of principles to prevent the under-age sale of knives in their shops and through their websites.
The firms that have signed up are Tesco, Lidl UK, Amazon UK, Wilko, Argos, Asda, Poundland, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, John Lewis and Waitrose.
In addition, eBay UK “supports it”, Mrs May said, insisting the Government would work closely with the British Retail Consortium to get others on board.
Ms May added: “Knife crime has a devastating impact on victims, families and communities, and I am determined to do all I can to prevent it.
“The agreement means that the retailers will have committed to requiring proof of age at point of purchase, collection or delivery, that knifes will be displayed safely and packaged securely and that staff will receive regular training.”
Law enforcement agencies will carry out follow-up test purchases in six months.
Action is also being taken to ban the sale, manufacture and import of “zombie killer knives”.
During the trial of Bailey’s killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, the High Court in Aberdeen heard he carried weapons with him “every day” to school and had previously been warned about the dangers of doing so.
It also emerged he had bought the knife used in the stabbing for £40 online and had it delivered to his mum’s shed so she would not find out what he had been buying.
He said it was easy to do it this way as he had an account with Amazon and the company did not check how old he was.
He had originally been accused of murdering Cults Academy pupil Bailey, 16, but a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He will be sentenced on April 1.
