Barnet shop fined after knife sale to teen

A Hendon shop owner has been prosecuted after a kitchen knife was sold to an undercover 15-year-old during a Barnet Council test purchase.

Mustafa Deger, owner of the convenience and household goods shop Good for You at 114 Brent Street, pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates Court in May. He was ordered to pay fines totalling £4,100.

The case followed an undercover operation in December 2025, when police cadets working with the council’s Trading Standards team attempted to buy knives from businesses across Barnet. The legal age to buy a knife in the UK is 18.

Residents with concerns about how a business is selling restricted goods in Barnet can contact the council’s Trading Standards team at [email protected].

£4,100 penalty after Hendon test purchase

The prosecution centred on Good for You, a shop on Brent Street in Hendon. Barnet Council said Deger sold a kitchen knife to the 15-year-old during the test purchase carried out in December 2025.

The case was heard at Willesden Magistrates Court, where Deger pleaded guilty in May. The court ordered him to pay fines totalling £4,100.

Knife sales are age-restricted because retailers must not sell knives to anyone under 18. Shops that stock knives are expected to have checks in place, including staff training, secure storage and a due diligence system for refusing sales where age cannot be verified.

Operation Sceptre visits across Barnet

Barnet Council said its Trading Standards team carried out a number of undercover test purchasing visits across the borough as part of Operation Sceptre.

The operation used police cadets, who were tasked with attempting to buy knives from local businesses. Test purchasing is a common enforcement method used by trading standards teams to check whether retailers are following age-restricted sales rules.

Before the prosecution, Barnet businesses had already been visited by Trading Standards officers. The council said those visits were used to advise retailers on correct storage and sales techniques for knives, and to make sure they had a due diligence defence in place.

The case comes as local authorities across London continue to focus on knife availability, youth safety and retailer compliance. Related prevention work in the capital has included community support and safety initiatives, such as youth safety programmes in Haringey.

Council warning to retailers

Cllr Sara Conway, Barnet Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Chair of the Safer Communities Partnership, said the prosecution showed the council would act against businesses that breached the law.

“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,” she said.

She added that the outcome was “another good result” for Trading Standards and its partnership with local police cadets.

“Barnet’s community safety partnership is committed to protecting our communities, and ensuring businesses operate within the law,” Conway said.

Knife surrender bins and safe disposal advice

Barnet Council said it introduced a permanent knife surrender bin on Bunns Lane, NW7, last year. A one-day mobile bin was also placed in the borough as part of a London-wide initiative funded by the Home Office to tackle knife crime.

The bins are intended to provide a safe and anonymous way for people to dispose of knives and other bladed weapons.

Anyone taking a knife to a surrender bin should wrap it first in several layers of cardboard or paper and secure it with sticky tape, so the blade is fully protected and the knife cannot easily be removed.

Although carrying a knife in a public place is an offence, the council said it is considered reasonable to carry one directly to a knife surrender bin if it is wrapped in that way.

Source: Barnet Council

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This article is based on Barnet Council’s published account of the prosecution and the safety guidance included with it.

Checks

• Confirmed the named defendant, shop, address and court outcome from the council statement.
• Separated the December 2025 test purchase from the May court hearing.
• Kept the legal age rule and knife disposal advice aligned with the source wording.
• Included council contact details for residents concerned about local business conduct.

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Barnet Council

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Barnet

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2026-06-04 18:47

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Mustafa DegerSara Conway

#Barnet Council#Brent Street#Good for You#Hendon#Mustafa Deger#Operation Sceptre#Willesden Magistrates Court

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