Knife crime charities have demanded stricter regulation of online marketplaces, because “careless” retailers are making it too easy for young people to buy knives.
The Government has promised new laws around the sale of knives, as it has emerged that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, then 17, ordered a knife on Amazon before the atrocity.
Patrick Green, chief executive of knife crime charity, the Ben Kinsella Trust, said the tragedy in Southport shows “how careless the online marketplaces are”.
The charity was founded by former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, after her 16-year-old brother Ben was stabbed to death in Islington in 2008.
Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death in London in 2008 (Metropolitan Police/PA)
Mr Green added that the ease of online sales is “a damning indictment”, saying: “Retailers are just completely focused on making money and not protecting the public.
“The law has proved inadequate.
“We need to close the loophole that exists around online marketplaces.
“This isn’t an isolated incident. There have been a number of incidents like this.”
The need for action on knife crime was further illustrated when a 12-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Bruce Houlder, founder of Fighting Knife Crime London, told the PA News Agency that knife crime is “more worrying than ever”.
After working as a criminal lawyer for 52 years, Mr Houlder founded the anti-knife organisation to try “find solutions to knife crime”, providing young people with what he calls a “one stop shop of information” on the topic.
He said: “I think there should be much tougher legislation.
“It’s foreseeable that these knives are going to be used to cause injury.”
Mr Houlder added there is “insufficient being done” to stop online retailers selling knives, calling them “complicit in the crimes that eventually get committed”.
He also pointed out that retailers should be aware of the items they are selling and how they might be used.
“What excuse can some young people use to buy many of the knives on sale at the moment?
“The only purpose is to sell it (to) someone who doesn’t have good motives.”