In September 2019 London Trading Standards launched the London Responsible Retailer Agreement on the Safe Storage and Sale of Knives (RRA) in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Metropolitan Police Service.

All London retailers selling knives are being invited to sign up to the new scheme, with an emphasis on attracting smaller independent businesses to help them comply with the law. The RRA urges businesses and staff to:

• understand the basic requirements for the safe storage of knives
• follow the ASSESS-CHALLENGE-CHECK process for selling age-restricted goods
• know when and how to contact police with suspicions of knife crime or where staff feel threatened by customers

The aim is that businesses in London will be visited by trading standards and/or a local police to encourage them to sign up to the agreement.

The RRA is accompanied by a good practice guide and a set of online retailer training animations which can be accessed via the links below

• Retailer knife guidance animations
• Retailer knife guidance toolkit

Knife sales in London 2018-19