Schoolgirl 'finds blade in bag'

Anna Morgan with the bag and the cutting device

A store has apologised to a teenage girl who discovered a 4in (10cm) blade within the lining of a new bag.

Anna Morgan, 13, had purchased the black canvas bag from the Warehouse store in Cardiff for her school books.

The pupil, from near Neath, unpicked the lining after feeling something hard inside and claims she pulled out a cutting device with two blades.

Warehouse said it takes customers' health and safety "very seriously" and was very shocked by what had happened.

Ms Morgan's mother Janet, from Glynneath, immediately contacted the store to inform them about the blade found in the £11.99 bag which had been made in China.

She said: "My daughter could have been seriously hurt - I was just completely gob-smacked.

"You hear so much about children carrying weapons and being stabbed. But this company sold a bag with its own lethal weapon inside.

"When pupils are pushing and shoving in school that blade could have gone through the bag into somebody's leg.

"And if she had tried to go through customs with that blade what would have happened? How would I have explained a blade being hidden in it?"

'Strict tests'

The company has apologised to Ms Morgan, sending her £200 of vouchers and a goody bag.

A Warehouse spokeswoman said: "At Warehouse we take the health and safety of our customers and staff very seriously and are therefore very shocked by this incident.

"We are currently talking with the supplier of this product to understand how this bag could have passed the strict quality assurance tests that every item goes through before it hits our stores."

Trading Standards, who were contacted by Ms Morgan's mother, are investigating the incident.