WEST Yorkshire Police are reminding shop-keepers that it is illegal to sell knives to under 18s after seven shops in the county were caught breaking the law.

The warning comes after the Force, working with underage cadet volunteers carried out 23 test purchase operations in small, medium and large sized stores.

Out of the shops tested, seven failed by selling knives to the cadets.

The test purchase operations were part of a national week of action the Force supported against knife crime which took place last week.

And the Force is warning that future test purchase operations will be carried out in the near future and if stores fail the test then enforcement action will be taken against them.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Gibson, West Yorkshire Police’s Operational Knife Crime Lead said:“In the wrong hands knives are a potentially lethal weapon.

“I have seen first-hand the tragic consequences knife crime can have in our communities.”