Hastings and Rother shops ‘sold knives to under 18s’

Three shops in Hastings and Rother sold a knife to someone aged under 18, a test from Hastings Police has revealed.
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Hastings and Rother police officers carried out a test purchase for knives at nine shops on Monday (March 11).

Three were found to have sold a knife to someone under 18, Hastings Police confirmed.

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A spokesman said: “Officers will now work with the shops and staff to educate them on the sale of knives.”

The test purchases were carried out at the start of a national campaign to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.

The campaign, named Operation Sceptre, is running from March 11-17.

On Monday, officers in Hastings also seized a knife from a boy under the age of 18, Hastings Police confirmed.

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Officers stopped and searched the boy and found him to be in possession of drugs and a knife, police said.

Operation SceptreOperation Sceptre
Operation Sceptre

Hastings Police said he was stopped on intelligence that led officers to believe he was in possession of drugs.

During the search officers seized the knife, according to police.

This was the second time a young male was found carrying a knife in the town in less than a week.

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On Thursday (March 7), police searched a man who had been spotted acting in a suspicious manner.

He was arrested for carrying a bladed article, police said, and bailed until April 3.

Police officers will be at Hastings railway station between 10am and 11am on Tuesday (March 12) as part of Operation Sceptre.

They will then be outside Debenhams in Hastings town centre and have encouraged residents to talk to them.

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