Solihull Council has overseen the prosecution of another shop owner for the underage sale of an age-restricted product.
A craft knife was sold to a 17-year-old test purchase volunteer at the Sandhu Convenience Store (known locally as Margaret’s Store – 111 Camplea Croft, Fordbridge) with no age-related checks carried out. The business is run by Balvinder Singh Chhokar and Rajinder Kaur, with the latter making the sale.
On Friday 26 May, at Birmingham Magistrates Court, the pair pleaded guilty to the sale of an age-restricted product to a minor. They were each fined £293, with £100 towards costs and £175 in victim surcharge (a total of £568 per defendant).
This is the second prosecution for an underage knife sale arising from a test purchase operation carried out last October.
Councillor Wazma Qais, Cabinet Member for Communities & Leisure, said:
“We are pleased with another successful prosecution for the unlawful sale of a knife in Solihull. These test purchase operations serve as an important and stark reminder for retailers to comply with their legal obligations.
“It only takes one knife to fall into the wrong hands and the consequences could be tragic. Once again, we thank our Trading Standards team for their efforts to help tackle knife crime and keep the borough safe.
“The Council continues to carry out test purchase operations. If you have concerns about the sale of knives in Solihull, please report this to the Council on 0121 704 8001.”