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Safety campaigners have criticised Poundland after a passer-by noticed the Thornton Heath branch displaying large knives in its shop window.



Footage shot by Nicola Peters, who is a member of action group Stop Our Kids Being Killed On Our Streets (SOKBKOOS), showed a selection of large kitchen knives in the shop window near to the entrance on Wednesday (September 6).

The knives appear to be secured only by plastic tags onto cardboard packaging.

Cheryl Small, the administrator for SOKBKOOS, said the display was “shocking and horrifying”.

She said: “To see a display like this in a place such as Thornton Heath, which has had quite a high level of criminal activity recently including incidents with fatalities, is appalling.

“I have seen enough crime first-hand to understand the current knife crime situation and climate – if a gang wanted to storm that shop, it would be easy for them to steal the knives, and that’s a big worry.

“Children are going back to school, and Poundland has chosen to put knives instead of stationery in the window – it’s shocking, and frankly horrifying.”

The display was spotted less than two weeks after a 20-year-old man was stabbed near Thornton Heath High Street, and less than a month after 15-year-old Jermaine Goupall was stabbed to death in the area.

Ms Small, who lives in Peckham and has been a member of SOKBKOOS since it was founded two years ago, added: “You would not need to carry out a planned raid to take one of those knives – anyone could rush that shop spontaneously.

“It’s often the case that when young people are angry that their friends are being killed or their family members are being hurt in knife crime, they don’t feel safe on their own street and it’s easy for them to feel threatened.

“If one of these youths feels threatened when they are in a bad mood, they could easily go into fight or flight mode – and with the shop and the knives being right there, they could just grab one in the spur of the moment if they feel they need to protect their life.”

She is now calling on Poundland to introduce tighter checks on what kinds of products are displayed in shop windows.

“Poundland has to condsider the communities surrounding their shops,” Ms Small said.

“Shops have a duty of care to their shoppers and that means considering what’s happening in south London at the moment with the climate of youth violence.”

Ms Small’s concerns have been echoed by Andrea Perry, vice chair of the Thornton Heath Community Action Team.

Ms Perry said: “As a resident of Thornton Heath, I hate to imagine what knife crime victims and their families would think as they walk passed this window display.

“The problem here is not just about accessibility - it is about the message the display sends. It is unacceptable particularly in the current climate.

“The community as a whole, including retailers, have duty to act responsibly.”

Responding to the video, Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones tweeted: "I will write to @poundland about this. And looks like it goes against gov guidelines that @poundland have signed up to."

In a separate tweet, she added: "It looks like a breach to me. @poundland what do you have to say?"

The policy Ms Jones is referring to is the 'Sale of knives: voluntary agreement by retailers' which Poundland is signed up to.

Part of the agreement reads: "Retailers will ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk.

"This will include retailers taking practical and proportionate action to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, reduce the possibility of injury, and prevent theft."



A spokeswoman for Poundland said the retailer’s “strict policy" is that knives “are only sold in the home aisle, under CCTV where it's in place, and in sealed packaging”.

She added: "Any deviations from this we will address quickly."