A company must pay almost £10,000 after an employee sold a knife worth just £3 to a teenager.

The 16-year-old bought the Stanley knife at Glickman's in Watney Market during a test purchase as part of the Operation Sceptre knife crime initiative in June last year.

The shop ws the only one out of 14 attempted test purchases to sell a knife to a child.

The company, Real Bargains Ltd, was fined £4,500 and told to pay costs of just over £5,000 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Employee Nurul Hoque, of Westrow Drive, Barking, pleaded guilty to selling a knife to a person under the age of 18.

Last week, Thames Magistrates' Court ordered the 63-year-old to pay a £184 fine and a £30 victim surcharge.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs said: "We have a zero tolerance policy in place to make sure that traders who break the law by selling knives to children are prosecuted."