Plan to cut underage online knife sales

Online shoppers will have to collect knives in person under government proposals to clamp down on sales of blades to children and teenagers.

It is already an offence to sell knives to under-18s but the planned measures would mean they cannot be delivered to private property.

Ministers say this would make it harder for under-age purchases to go undetected following warnings online age verification checks can be sidestepped.

Retailers would be responsible for checking the age of all buyers by asking for them to show ID such as a passport or driving licence. Arrangements for how online sellers without physical stores can comply will be considered as part of a consultation to be launched later this year.

It is illegal to sell a blade of more than three inches to anyone under 18.