Poundland will stop selling kitchen knives in all of its 755 UK stores by the end of next month, following a row over the sale of fake blades marked as toy "weapons".

Retail Director Austin Cooke said: "The decision to stop selling kitchen knives nationwide is a commitment that we know means a lot to both our colleagues and our customers.

"For a long time they've expressed their concern around the associated risk of having knives available and the unfortunate truth is that in the wrong hands, knives can be used for the wrong purpose.

"The safety of our colleagues and customers is crucial and we hope our fellow retailers will follow our lead in playing a responsible role in preventing knife related incidents."