Retailers slammed for stocking blades
The stabbing of a shop assistant at Wood Green Shopping City in north London has thrust the knife debate back into the headlines.

Meanwhile, retailers have withdrawn knife promotions to avoid undermining the UK's national knife amnesty.

Yesterday, a 19-year-old shop assistant was attacked and stabbed by three men in the Wood Green mall, leaving him in a critical condition. According to reports, the attack took place in a service area closed to the public at 5 pm, leading to the closure of the shopping centre.

Publicity over knife attacks of juveniles and a national amnesty on knives has caused retailers to withdraw promotions involving knives.

Binns, a House of Fraser store in Darlington, withdrew a promotion offering a free kitchen knife with a three-inch blade to every shopper over 21. According to local media, the store withdrew the offer yesterday after criticism from anti-knife campaigners.

Last week, supermarket Lidl was in the press as it shelved a plan to put cut-price diving knives on the shelves. The retailer was concerned that selling a knife with a 14.3cm serrated blade for a£6.99 might be out of step with a high-profile police campaign to reduce knife crime.

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