Three further companies have been fined thousands for selling knives to children online as part of an ongoing clampdown by Croydon Council.

A cookshop from Kent, a caterer from York and a Hertfordshire gunshop were fined more than £30,000 in three separate cases for selling blades to a 13-year-old volunteer test purchaser for the Council's trading standards team.

All three companies were sent letters in advance warning them that an online test purchase was likely, but despite this failed to ensure child was old enough to purchase the delivery.

Councillor Hamida Ali, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for safer Croydon and communities, said: "Knife crime devastates young lives, and all businesses have a responsibility to follow the law and prevent the illegal sale of knives to children.

"These latest prosecutions demonstrate how our excellent trading standards team is leading a nationwide clampdown against these illegal sales.

“Just as a shop must refuse to sell a knife to a child in person, these cases underline the fact that companies across the country need to do much more to stop these illegal sales online - or risk prosecution themselves.

“In Croydon we’re taking a public health approach to tackling violence and I urge all businesses - whether operating in store or online - to play their role in preventing knife crime and protecting our young people.”

Under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, it is illegal to sell a knife, knife blade, razor blade or axe to anyone under 18.

Legend Cookshops was fined £12,000, court costs of £2,200 and a £181 victim surcharge for selling a 12-centimetre Acero utility knife to the 13-year-old on January 16, which was delivered to a Croydon address later than month.

Camberwell Magistrates Court was told the company had failed a previous test purchase in 2014 carried out by North Yorkshire Trading Standards.

Fishers Catering Limited, of York, was ordered to pay an £8,000 fine, court costs of £2161.40 and a victim surcharge of £181 for selling a Sabatier all-purpose knife on January 9 to the test-purchaser.

Hertfordshire-based Ronnie Sunshines was found guilty of selling a Morakniv companion knife online to the 13-year old, fined £5,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £4,000, including a £170 victim surcharge.

The sale took place on 28 November 2018 - two weeks after staff at Ronnie Sunshines had been sent an advance letter by Croydon Council warning an online test purchase was likely.

Croydon Council's trading standards team has now secured eight prosecutions, taking a leading role in the anti-knife crime initiative.