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Slough police checks: Girl buys knife in undercover operation

PA Generic picture of a young man holding a knifePA
Thames Valley Police has previously said it had "serious concerns" about knife crime in Slough (stock image)

A teenager was able to buy a 20cm (8in) carving knife at a self-checkout till during an undercover police operation.

Thames Valley Police said it sent a 17-year-old girl to test retailers in Slough, Berkshire, on Monday.

Two stores failed to check she was 18 before selling her the carving knife and a chef's knife, police said.

Previously, the force said it had "serious concerns" about knife crime in Slough following recent stabbings.

PA Knife Angel sculpture, made of 100,000 confiscated knives, is installed at Coventry CathedralPA
A sculpture made from knives seized by police has been on display in Slough in January

The teenager said: "Essentially I wasn't challenged. An under-age girl or boy could go into a shop and get their hands on an average-sized kitchen knife fairly simply.

"They don't have a clue what someone is doing with that knife once its been bought."

Slough Borough Council is considering whether to prosecute the stores.

Family Photo Abdul Aziz AnsariFamily Photo
Abdul Aziz Ansari, who was stabbed to death in Slough in May 2022, was a campaigner against knife crime, his family said

Following the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Abdul Aziz Ansari in May 2022, police said there were "serious concerns" about knife crime and violence in Slough.

Operation Deter, a "zero tolerance" approach to knife crime in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, was extended to the town in October.

Earlier in January, a 27ft (8m) high sculpture made from knives arrived in Slough in a bid to raise awareness about violent crime.

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