'Get tougher': dozens of Lancashire shops sold knives and vapes to under-18s, as councillors call for bigger fines

Currently, business-owners can be hit with a £200 fine if they are caught flouting the rules, which ban sales of the products to under-18s.

However, Lancashire County Council has now resolved to write to the government to call for an increase in the financial powers available to its trading standards officers when they uncover wrongdoing.

It comes against the backdrop of dozens of shopkeepers being found to have fallen foul of the law in two test purchase sweeps which took place across Lancashire late last year.

Twenty-four out of 59 shops that were visited sold knives to children aged between 13 and 16, while 20 out of 56 stores allowed underage youngsters to buy tobacco and vapes – some of which also failed to meet the relevant safety legislation.

Preston Rural division member Sue Whittam said the results showed some businesses were prepared “to put profits ahead of residents’ safety”.

Bringing forward a notice of motion on the subject at a recent meeting of the full council, she added: “Ask yourself, is [£200] really enough and, more importantly, is this really a deterrent? I think not.”

Cabinet member for health and wellbeing Michael Green said the potential for fines to be halved if paid within 14 days also reduced their impact.

County Cllr Whittam added that there needed to be a “streamlining” of the procedures used to shut shops down for a period of time when they have committed repeated and serious underage sales offences.

District councils, working with the police, have the power to close premises for up to three months – with the option of later extennding that timeframe to six months.

County Cllr Scott Cunliffe, who represents Burnley Central West, said that where the shops involved also held an alcohol licence, they should lose it.

“That’s a bigger threat to their livelihood,” he told the meeting.

Meanwhile, County Cllr Steve Holgate said while it was important to crack down on “open all hours” stores, there was a potentially even greater risk posed by online retailers.

“I am aware of…a number of incidents when people have ordered dangerous-looking implements such as knives [where age-verification should be requested upon delivery] and the deliverer has decided to leave [the parcel] ,because…nobody answered the door.

“Ordering stuff online that’s illegitimate and illegal is quite an easy process – and needs to be watched carefully,” the Chorley Central representative warned.