Missing knife sparks call for tighter restrictions

An anti-knife crime group is calling for tighter restrictions on the sale of blades after a knife was found missing from a pack in a shop.

A member from Owen's World - set up in memory of 18-year-old Owen Dunn who was stabbed in 2022 - spotted a knife was missing from a pack of four in The Range store in Swindon.

The group shared a photo of the missing knife on Facebook and said: "Knives should not be this easy to access because sometimes… that's all it takes".

A spokesperson for The Range said: "We have clear procedures in place across our stores to ensure knives are merchandised and sold responsibly, including a strict challenge 25 policy, regular in-store checks and staff training."

Since it was established in 2024, Owen's World has helped to install amnesty bins for knives at Swindon New College and John Moulton Hall Community Centre on the Penhill estate where Dunn grew up.

The bins, which are regularly emptied by Wiltshire Police, allows people to dispose of knives and blades anonymously without fear of prosecution.

Joanne Davis, the founder of Owen's World, said it needed to be "harder" for people to get hold of knives.

"Yes, it's easy to get one from your kitchen drawer, but the harder it is to get hold of one, the easier it will be to prevent [knife crime] happening.

"You've got baby milk formula with a security tag on, but you can quite freely pick up a knife and go buy it.

"Stores have a duty of care to the customer," she told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

The Range said staff in its Swindon store would review the circumstances of the incident and would "take further steps" on the storage and sale of knives to keep customers and colleagues safe.

The Home Office said it was working to halve knife crime within a decade.

According to the government organisation, more than 63,000 knives had already been taken off the streets and knife homicides had fallen by 27%, the lowest figure in 10 years.

A spokesperson said: "Our new published Plan to Halve Knife Crime will turn that progress into lasting change.

"This government will continue working closely with businesses, the police and local partners to strengthen protections and stop dangerous knives getting into the wrong hands."

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