Almost 40 per cent of shops tested in a recent survey sold knives to a 14-year-old child, it emerged today.

Trading standards carried out test purchase operations at 51 outlets across the county between February and June and 20 failed.

Blades sold included axes, meat cleavers, hunting knives and 12 kitchen knives.

Oxfordshire County Council had warned shops beforehand they were planning to carry out the operation.

There were eight failures in Oxford, four in Thame, three in Didcot, four in Banbury, one in Wantage and none in Abingdon.

It is illegal to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18.

Nigel Strick, head of trading standards and community safety, said: “Just one underage sale would be one too many but a failure rate of 40 per cent is completely unacceptable.”

Trading standards has refused to name the shops which sold blades to children.

A spokesman added officers are meeting with the shop’s managers and are in process of issuing official warnings.