A POUNDLAND employee has been fined hundreds of pounds after she was busted selling a knife to a 16-year-old decoy.

Resna Khatun was working at the Cowley poundland last summer when she sold a utility knife and pack of replacement blades to an underage teenager without checking ID.

At Oxford Magistrates Court yesterday (02/03) Khatun pleaded guilty to two offences.

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The court heard that on July 25 Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards made the test purchase at the John Allen Centre shop with the help of a 16-year-old volunteer from the Fire Cadets.

Khatun was fined £390 and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £39 as well as £450 of costs.

The head of the trading standards service, Jody Kerman, said that employees who can sell knives and age-restricting products 'need to know' that they will be liable if something goes wrong – not the shop.

She said: "We never take the decision to prosecute someone for an offence of this nature lightly.

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"However, if a retail employee sells a knife to someone under-18 without making the necessary checks, then they need to understand that they are personally liable."

From April 2018 until March 2019 Trading Standards services across England and Wales carried out 2,231 test purchases of knifes with 344 stores, 15 per cent, failing to make the required age checks.

As part of Operation Sceptre by Thames Valley Police, test purchasing and business visits will be carried out by officers.