Police concerned over weapons sold at Super Pound Plus Store

From the outside, Super Pound Plus Store is an unassuming shop where bargain hunters might hope to pick up household products at a cut price.

But upstairs on the first-floor of the Buttermarket Street premises, a glass cabinet is filled with a selection of gruesome weapons – with stock including swords, machetes, ornate knives, baseball bats and realistic-looking BB and airsoft guns.

Warrington Guardian sources suggest that several well-known figures in the town linked to organised crime have purchased machetes and knives from the store.

Machetes are available from just £12, with swords priced at £45 and BB guns on sale at £24.

Cheshire Police have attempted to stop the bargain store from selling these weapons, which it believes can be used for ‘no purpose other than to cause serious harm’.

While the law does not actually prevent these items from being sold, worries have been raised over the shop’s ‘completely irresponsible trading’.

Superintendent Martin Cleworth said: “The police are well aware of this store and have sought to convince the management to remove them from sale, given these items can in reality be for no lawful purpose other than to cause serious harm.

“Despite this, they have continued – and the law does not actually prevent this, hence we are now seeking to progress other civil options to stop what I see as completely irresponsible trading.”

It is believed that Super Pound Plus Store has also been under pressure from Trading Standards in order to remove these items from sale.

A knifeman who threatened to cut the throat of a love rival was known to have purchased knives from the shop before he was arrested.

Victor Jeffries purchased a pack of three kitchen knives for just £1.20 before leaving his ex-girlfriend a voicemail saying: “I’m going the cut his throat – I’ve just bought a new knife and when I find him he’s dead.”

The 59-year-old, of Blackledge Close in Cinnamon Brow, was jailed for 42 months in June last year.

Legislation introduced in 2016 banned the sale of ‘zombie knives’ – blades which ‘glamorise and emphasise the threat of violence’.

These weapons are seen as status symbols among gang members, who have been known to pose with them in videos posted online in order to threaten rivals.

The importation, manufacture and sale of these weapons is a criminal offence in England and Wales.

But retailers have found ways of circumventing these new laws by removing imagery and words from the products which suggest they are intended for use in violence or to threaten.

Super Pound Plus Store has not responded to a request for comment.