Act on knives

YOUNG people can purchase knives over the counter with alarming ease.

That is the finding of trading standards officers who discovered that one in four retailers are breaking the law.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd recently proposed new laws to ban the sale of blades to under-18s over the internet.

This is a welcome move but is undermined when high street stores are selling them.

The police, local authorities and MPs have been demanding action on knife crime for years. A good start would be tougher penalties for shopkeepers caught selling dangerous weapons to under-18s.