YOUNGSTERS have been sent undercover to slash sales of knives to children.

They teamed up with police and Trading Standards to carry out more than 250 test purchase operations in West Yorkshire.

Children were sent into shops to try to buy knives.

Before Christmas, nearly one in five outlets failed the test.

But, after advice was given to 400 shops about avoiding underage sales, none of the shops targeted after Christmas failed test purchases.

Insp Steve Emmett said: “This shows that the message it is illegal to sell knives to anyone aged under 18 is really hitting home.

“We want to make it clear that we will work with retailers to show them where they are going wrong and help to educate staff.”

In one case a retailer who sold a knife to a child customer before Christmas was visited by police.

Insp Emmett said: “The result was that when we went back the message had been learned and no knife was sold.”

“We will continue these operations and to educate retailers where necessary to stop children and youths being able to get hold of knives.”

It is an offence to sell to a person under the age of 18 any knife, knife blade or razor blade, or axe apart from folding pocket knives shorter than three inches and razor blades in a cartridge.

It is also illegal to buy any knife designed to look like something else, like a pen.

Graham Hebblethwaite, West Yorkshire Trading Standards’ chief officer, said: “It is pleasing that a combined programme of advice to businesses and test purchasing has seen shops really get the message about not selling knives to under 18s.

“Anyone who has concerns about shops selling knives to under 18s can pass the information on through Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.”

The online auction site eBay admitted it needed to do more to protect its members after illegal knives were sold on “the world’s online marketplace,” as reported in the Examiner yesterday.

Researchers on the BBC’s Watchdog programme bought five knives, including a stealth knife and a dagger disguised as a pen, on the site, all of which are illegal to sell or carry in the UK.

The investigation comes just days after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith launched an initiative with retailers to ensure that knives are sold responsibly.

An eBay spokesman said: “This should not have been possible and we have taken steps to close that loophole.”