Amazon to launch 'urgent investigation' into how Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was able to buy 8inch knife online

22 January 2025, 09:09 | Updated: 22 January 2025, 10:07

Amazon has launched an "urgent investigation" after it was revealed that 17-year-old Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was able to purchase a knife online.

It was revealed that the Southport attacker, who pled guilty to the murders of three young girls on Monday, purchased a knife from the online retailer in the run up to the attack - despite age verification being in place.

Rudakubana was convicted of a violent assault against a child at school and was found to have been in possession of a knife on at least ten different occasions, it emerged on Tuesday.

A Cerbera knife, measuring 20cm in length, was among the items found during a raid of Rudakubana's Banks home by police following the attack on the Taylor Swift dance class.

Within hours, Yvette Cooper took to the Commons to brand the sale "a total disgrace", adding that technology companies “should not be profiting from hosting content that puts children’s lives at risk".

In a statement released following criticism from both the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, an Amazon spokesperson said an investigation had now been launched into ID checks.

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An Amazon spokesman said: "We take our responsibility around the sale of all age-restricted items - including bladed products - extremely seriously and have launched an urgent investigation in relation to this tragic case.

"We use trusted ID verification services to check name, date of birth and address details whenever an order is placed for these bladed items.

"We have an age verification on delivery process that requires drivers to verify the recipient's age through an app on their devices before handing over a parcel containing an age-restricted item."

Rudakubana purchased the 8-inch knife on July 20, days before the dance class attack, from Amazon using encrypted software which hid his home address.

Details of the purchase were met with condemnation by the Sir Keir Starmer, who said it has become “shockingly easy” for children to buy blades.

“It remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives. The lessons of this case could not be clearer," Starmer wrote in The Sun on Tuesday.

"Time and again, as a child, the Southport murderer carried knives. Time and again, he showed clear intent to use them.

“And yet, tragically, he was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers. A two-click killer. This cannot continue.

“The technology is there to set up age verification checks, even for kitchen knives ordered online.

“We must now use it to protect our children from future attack and I will ensure that this happens.”

It follows comments from the Home Secretary earlier in the day, who told the Commons that "the Prevent learning review found that Rudakubana admitted to having carried a knife more than 10 times".

She labelled action against him "far too weak".

It comes despite the fact "he had been convicted for violence and was just 17, he was easily able to order a knife on Amazon.“