WEST Berkshire Council has said that it would “not be appropriate” to take to court all shopkeepers caught red-handed selling knives to children.
The decision comes after councillor Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Victoria) called for council to prosecute shops caught selling knives to under-18s by trading standards officers, rather than simply handing them a caution.
Last year, the Newbury Weekly News revealed how the council had refused to prosecute or even name four vendors caught selling knives to a 14-year-old in a trading standards sting operation.
Although three people and a shop admitted their guilt in receiving a caution, which requires the same level of evidence as a prosecution, the public were left in the dark about their crimes and they escaped paying a fine.
A NWN freedom of information request for the identity of the guilty parties was denied, with the council saying that it would breach the store-owner’s privacy.
Now the council has thrown out an attempt to launch prosecutions against illegal knife sellers whenever possible.
Officials said that under Crown Prosecution Service guidelines, prosecuting shops selling knives to children may not always be in the public interest. Presuming in favour of prosecution could “cast doubt” on whether each case was being assessed on its merits, trading standards officers said.
Councillors sitting on the Safer, Stronger and Sustainable Communities Policy Development Commission have previously said that the the current guidelines were “working well”, despite acknowledging that the process was seen as too lenient.
Mr Hunneman, who had called for illegal knife-sellers to be prosecuted, said: “I'm very disappointed, but I'm not entirely surprised.
“I wanted to see some robustness on this issue, because it is a message we need to get out there. Knife crime isn't a major issue here, but we don't want it to become one.”
The trial of five men charged with the murder of Burghfield Common teenager Robert Spence, who was stabbed in Reading last May, started at Reading Crown Court this week.