An off licence was caught selling knives to an underage child, in a sting by police council trading standards officers.

Mr Charan Singh Ahuja, owner of St Marks Food and Wine on Powney Road in Maidenhead pleaded guilty to the offence at Reading Magistrates Court on Friday August 16. He was fined £7,022.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said the prosecution ‘should be a warning to other shops in the area as to what will happen if they do not comply with the law’.

St Marks Food & Wine sold a set of craft knives to a minor during a test purchasing operation on November 13 last year. The sting was carried out by council trading standards officers  in conjunction with Thames Valley Police.

Mr Ajuha, 37, of Tollgate Drive, Hayes, had previously received advice from Trading Standards about the law on age restricted products, both in writing and verbally.

Kevin McDaniel, Executive Director of Adult Services, Health and Communities, said: “I’d like to commend the work of our Trading Standards team in delivering this successful prosecution and helping to keep our borough safe.

“The sale of knives to children is completely unacceptable and this prosecution should be a warning to other shops in the area as to what will happen if they do not comply with the law.”