KNIVES and alcohol were sold to children under the age of 16 during a test purchasing operation in Torfaen.

The council’s trading standards team and the Gwent Police cadets recently visited 15 shops, where 19 attempts were made to purchase age restricted items.

Ten items were sold in eight shops to the cadets, who were under the age of 16, and all of these items had a legal age restriction of 18 years old. Two kitchen knives, two four packs of Thatcher’s Cider, a four pack of WKD, a can of Malibu, and a vape were among the underage items sold to the cadets.

The retailers in question have been warned and provided with reminders about the laws in place and their responsibilities to protect children from such products. They have been advised to use policies such as Challenge 25, checking photographic ID if necessary and keeping a log of refused sales.

Executive member for the Environment Councillor Mandy Owen said: “I would like to thank our Trading Standards Officers and Gwent Police for their efforts in identifying shops selling items to children and offering advice to assist them in complying with the law.

“What is disturbing about these sales is that these retailers have comprehensive policies and procedures relating to the sale of underage goods, but evidently, they were not being implemented. This demonstrates the importance of independent checks undertaken by Trading Standards Officers to protect children from risks of harm.”

Inspector Lee Stachow of Gwent Police said: "Age restrictions on sale items are there for a reason to keep children safe and it's disappointing so see that some businesses are failing in their duties to abide by the law, disregarding how harmful their actions can be.

"Our cadets play a pivotal role in catching those retailers who are breaking the law and we will continue to work with our partners, taking part in these operations, to ensure those businesses are prosecuted and held to account."

Businesses that persistently fail in their legal duty to prevent underage sales can be prosecuted and fined. Where an alcohol licence is in place, the local authority may also apply for it to be reviewed, which could result in the licence being restricted or even removed. Anyone with concerns about the selling of age-restricted products is encouraged to contact Trading Standards. They can be contacted by email at trading.standards@torfaen.gov.uk or by phone on 01495 762200. Any information supplied will be treated in confidence.