Swindon shop owners selling knives fail to properly check ID

Wiltshire Police has been enacting preventive measures across the town following a spate of recent knife-related crimes.

The news was revealed by the force on Friday, a day after a man in his 20s was stabbed at Dulverton Avenue in Park North.

It also comes shortly after another man suffered knife wounds on Tuesday, October 17 at Bridgemead Retail Park.

Several bladed articles have already been deposited. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

Officers have spent the last week conducting a range of activities including knife safety sweeps, high visibility patrols, test purchase operations and partnership work in schools and colleges.

Across Wiltshire, 18 weapons sweeps were conducted, recovering one knife, while 30 retailers were visited including 10 test purchase operations in Swindon, with just a 60 per cent pass rate.

Elsewhere four new permanent knife surrender bins have been launched in Swindon at Broadgreen Community Centre, Walcot Dome, Liden Library and Pinetrees Community Centre.

As many as 28 bladed articles have already been deposited anonymously in the bright orange bins.

The new knife surrender bins in Swindon. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

Schools have also been visited with 25 community meetings and education events held while 700 young people received a safety presentation.

Swindon hub commander Det Supt Guy Elkins said: “We know that knife crime is an issue which touches everyone across the Force area and requires a communal solution.

“Our role is to keep people safe and to relentlessly pursue those individuals carrying and using weapons for their own gain and putting others at risk.

“We also work with our partners in education, health, councils and departments like Trading Standards to ensure we have a collaborative and joined-up approach in tackling the issue.

Wiltshire Police have been speaking to pupils about knife crime. (Image: Wiltshire Police)

“Officers across the Force put in a huge amount of work last week to educate our young people on the dangers of carrying knives, how to report if someone they know is carrying a knife and how to respond if they are ever in a situation where someone has been stabbed.

“We also conducted numerous knife sweeps across the county to try and find any bladed articles which had been disposed of unsafely, and we also visited 30 retailers to monitor how they are selling knives and bladed articles.

“Working with our excellent cadets, we conducted 10 test purchase knife operations in Swindon, and it was disappointing to see four of the 10 retailers tested fail for not checking ID properly.

“The stores were given oral warnings. We all have a role to play in ensuring it’s considered unacceptable to carry a weapon or bladed article on our streets.”