UK retailers to take knives off streets in campaign

I keep meaning to mention some sterling knife crime campaigning action by 21 retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco which seems to have had minimal publicity. Details on programme to cut numbers of knives on the streets:

• Knives will not be placed on open display.
  
• Signs about banning knife sales to teenagers are to be placed in stores.
  
• Under 18s buying knives are to be monitored.
  
• Information sharing is to be carried out with police.
  
• Theft prevention measures are to be more rigorously imposed to stop blades falling into the hands of young people.
  
• Reminders will be placed at tills for staff.
  
• Internet sales of knives to children to be tackled.
  

These steps are being put in place because the law requires adults to accompany youngsters when buying knives. This, I understand from a Guardian knife crime article, is a result of the change of the law in October 2007 (although I'm not entirely clear what the law actually is from this article).

Gang culture is to be tackled too, outlawing gang colours and gang members associating with each other, and restrictions on travelling into areas they consider to be their territory. I wonder if this can work effectively though!

Appropriate to mention here too that e-Bay is cracking down on knife sale auctions after a BBC Watchdog investigation revealed a shocking display of law-breaking through the auction site.