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Last on
Tue 27 Sep 2022
11:45
大象传媒 One Wales & Wales HD only
Shops sell blades to underage teens
Stores in Wales are breaking the law by selling knives to under 18s, X-Ray鈥檚 undercover investigation found.聽
The programme shows how independent stores and a national chain in Cardiff are selling knives to underage teenagers without any ID checks. It鈥檚 illegal for any business to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18.聽 The only exception are folding pocket knives that have a cutting edge no longer than 3 inches or are not lock-knives.聽
Knife crime figures in Wales have more than doubled over the past decade. There was a slight decrease over the pandemic, but rates are on the rise once again.聽
Of the fifteen stores, that X-Ray鈥檚 undercover teenagers 鈥� aged 16 and 17 - visited in Cardiff, ten (66%) sold knives without any ID checks.
Emily Powell, from the Wales Violence Prevention Unit, works with children under 18 who鈥檝e been found carrying knives and then referred to the unit. She says young people carry knives for a number of reasons, 鈥淭hey feel they have to be carrying weapons to be able to protect themselves. (also) If all your friends around you are carrying knives and weapons it鈥檚 normalised so it鈥檚 ok for them.鈥澛�
The youngest person Emily has worked with was a primary school child aged just 8 years old. 鈥淗e鈥檇 got a knife from the kitchen at home and taken it to school and the school then found the knife on him.鈥澛�
The programme also features a man from South Wales who spent 10 years in prison after stabbing someone in a fight. He had regularly carried a knife from the age of 14 and spoke about why he feels young people carry knives.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 just a fashion thing for kids now. Some people probably carry for fear, so people carry just to look cool. And that鈥檚 the scary thing, everyone鈥檚 got them. He鈥檚 got one, so he鈥檚 got to have one, if he鈥檚 got one, he鈥檚 got to have one, you know it just has that chain effect.鈥�
The secret filming footage captured by X-Ray shows multiple breaches of the law. The programme showed the footage to the Ben Kinsella Trust, an anti-knife crime charity set up after 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in 2008.聽
The charity鈥檚 CEO, Patrick Green, said: 鈥淭his is shocking footage. Here we have retailers disregarding the law, handing knives over to young people. In one instance it鈥檚 clear that the retailer understands the law, but still goes and breaks the law by passing that knife over to a young person.聽 I鈥檓 deeply, deeply saddened, I鈥檓 deeply, deeply shocked by this footage.鈥�
The programme shows how independent stores and a national chain in Cardiff are selling knives to underage teenagers without any ID checks. It鈥檚 illegal for any business to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18.聽 The only exception are folding pocket knives that have a cutting edge no longer than 3 inches or are not lock-knives.聽
Knife crime figures in Wales have more than doubled over the past decade. There was a slight decrease over the pandemic, but rates are on the rise once again.聽
Of the fifteen stores, that X-Ray鈥檚 undercover teenagers 鈥� aged 16 and 17 - visited in Cardiff, ten (66%) sold knives without any ID checks.
Emily Powell, from the Wales Violence Prevention Unit, works with children under 18 who鈥檝e been found carrying knives and then referred to the unit. She says young people carry knives for a number of reasons, 鈥淭hey feel they have to be carrying weapons to be able to protect themselves. (also) If all your friends around you are carrying knives and weapons it鈥檚 normalised so it鈥檚 ok for them.鈥澛�
The youngest person Emily has worked with was a primary school child aged just 8 years old. 鈥淗e鈥檇 got a knife from the kitchen at home and taken it to school and the school then found the knife on him.鈥澛�
The programme also features a man from South Wales who spent 10 years in prison after stabbing someone in a fight. He had regularly carried a knife from the age of 14 and spoke about why he feels young people carry knives.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 just a fashion thing for kids now. Some people probably carry for fear, so people carry just to look cool. And that鈥檚 the scary thing, everyone鈥檚 got them. He鈥檚 got one, so he鈥檚 got to have one, if he鈥檚 got one, he鈥檚 got to have one, you know it just has that chain effect.鈥�
The secret filming footage captured by X-Ray shows multiple breaches of the law. The programme showed the footage to the Ben Kinsella Trust, an anti-knife crime charity set up after 16-year-old Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in 2008.聽
The charity鈥檚 CEO, Patrick Green, said: 鈥淭his is shocking footage. Here we have retailers disregarding the law, handing knives over to young people. In one instance it鈥檚 clear that the retailer understands the law, but still goes and breaks the law by passing that knife over to a young person.聽 I鈥檓 deeply, deeply saddened, I鈥檓 deeply, deeply shocked by this footage.鈥�
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Executive Producer | Alison Martin |
| Producer | Sean Hughes |