Barnet Council prosecuted Akif Durmaz of Hendon International Food in Vivian Avenue for selling a knife set to a teenager during an undercover test purchase operation in December 2025
Barnet Council has prosecuted a shop owner for selling a knife set to a teenager during an undercover test purchase operation in December 2025.
Akif Durmaz, owner of grocery and convenience shop ‘Hendon International Food’, on Vivian Avenue pleaded guilty of selling the knife set at Willesden Magistrates Court on Thursday, 3rd September. He was fined £3,080 by the court and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs to the council.
The retailer had been included in the ‘Responsible Retailer Scheme’, a local trading standards and police initiative, designed to help businesses comply with age-restriction laws and prevent the sale of illicit goods.
This included best practice for the storage and display of knives, and education on the legal sale of bladed articles. The legal age to purchase a knife in the UK is 18.
Sara Conway, Barnet Council’s cabinet member for community safety and chair of the safer communities partnership, said: “Knife crime devastates families and communities, which is why it is so important we do everything we can to stop young people getting hold of knives in the first place.”
Cllr Conway added: “This prosecution sends a clear message, that we will not hesitate to act swiftly and firmly against any business found to be breaking the law and compromising the safety of our residents.
“Barnet’s trading standards team and community safety partnership is committed to protecting residents and standing up for our communities, including when it comes to keeping young people safe.”
Last year, the council introduced a permanent knife surrender bin on Bunns Lane, NW7 and a one-day mobile bin in the borough, as part of a London-wide initiative funded by the Home Office to tackle knife crime. The bins provide a safe and anonymous way for individuals to dispose of knives and other bladed weapons.
To safely dispose of knives, they should first be wrapped in several layers of cardboard or paper and secured with tape so that the blade is completely protected and the knife cannot easily be removed. Although it is an offence to have a knife in a public place, it is considered reasonable to carry it directly to a knife surrender bin if it is wrapped in this way.
If you have concerns about how a business is operating within the borough, contact: [email protected].
Alternatively, you can report matters of interest using the London Trading Standards website at: https://www.
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