An independent Lewisham retailer has been convicted for selling knives to under-age customers.
Following an investigation by Lewisham Council Mrs Mangelswary Thilagaraja, the manager of Warren Londis supermarket on Bromley Road, and her husband and part-time employee, Mr Subramanian Thilagarajah, were both prosecuted under Section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The defendants were fined £185 and £285 respectively, plus costs of £100 each at Greenwich Magistrates’ Court on 7 January 2009.
The Government changed the law relating to the buying of knives on 1 October 2007 when the legal purchase age was raised from 16 to 18. Lewisham Council sent all retail shops in the borough information on the new law, the implications for retailers and their responsibilities in order to comply.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “We have informed and educated local businesses who’ve sold knives to under-age young people about their legal responsibilities. We actively monitor those businesses by conducting test purchases as part of a wider programme of activity.
“Where necessary we won’t hesitate to prosecute those who don’t comply with the law.”
In May 2008 Lewisham Council carried out a regular test purchasing exercise to establish whether local traders were complying with changes to the law.
On 28 May 2008 two young volunteers, approved by Lewisham Council, entered the Warren Londis shop as part of this exercise. One of them purchased a Stanley knife pack for £2.49 but was not asked his age by Mr Thilagarajah who was serving behind the counter.
When challenged on the sale, Mr Thilagarajah said he and the rest of the staff were aware of the change in the law and the requirements affecting local traders arising from it. He and his wife admitted that they did not keep any staff training records or a purchase refusal book.
As part of their defence, Mr Thilagarajah stated they didn’t keep a log of knife sale refusals as there were “too many people to record”.
The defendants have previously been convicted or received warnings on four other occasions for selling age-restricted products to under-age young people.