Shops selling ornamental knives and swords, some for as little as £10, could face increased pressure on their trade amid fears over the growing knife culture in Britain.

Bradford city centre shoppers have expressed their horror over arrays of weapons on show in three shop windows, with callers to the Telegraph & Argus expressing concern over seeing knives and guns on open display in shop windows.

Last year in Bradford two men injured three nightclub doormen by slashing them with Samurai swords. Now Government and police authorities are raising the issue again in a bid to regulate the trade more closely.

As the law stands, ornamental weapons can be sold perfectly legally to anyone over 16, but Consumer Minister and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe has pledged to have talks with Trading Standards officers over the issue.

And Councillor Clive Richardson (Con, Thornton and Allerton), deputy chairman of West Yorkshire Police Authority, has also pledged to raise the issue with colleagues from other police authorities.

In December the T&A highlighted how Barkers in Sunbridge Road was displaying dozens of weapons.

At the time Councillor David Ward (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) called for an investigation, saying: "I was horrified when I saw the display which includes knives which can only be used as offensive weapons.

"It is also against the law to market a knife in a way which 'indicates or suggests that it is suitable for combat, or is likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour'.

"As a lay person I think that these knives fall into this category just by being in the window of the shop."

Now two other shops in Bridge Street are also selling ornamental weapons - Moes and one of the two Mobile Xtreme stores owned by the same group.

Staff there said they were being bought mainly by elderly people for display.

Despite some having protective covers, the company's joint owner, Mohammed Ayub, said: "None of them are sharp. People go in and ask for fantasy knives to display."

His relative Abdul Ayub, who works in the shop, said: "They are only sold to people over the age of 20. The people who have bought them have been mainly elderly and everybody has been interested in them as ornaments."

Shops are not breaking the law by selling the swords, unless they are bought by people under 16.

But Mr Sutcliffe said: "This isn't something I would want to encourage. Personally I don't know why anybody would be interested in buying knives."

Coun Richardson said: "I will raise it at my next meeting of the Association of Police Authorities in London and see if we can get some more pressure to regulate them.

"It just seems a pity to me that people have to make a living by selling such stuff. It is legal but there are standards of decency."

And Councillor Simon Cooke, chairman of Bradford city centre steering group, said he would put the issue before its next meeting. "I have noticed that shops are starting to sell them, but they are not breaking the law. You can go anywhere and buy a kitchen knife.

"I wouldn't want a ban but this is all a grey area. I think there is an issue about how they are presented and displayed," he said.

In December, Bradford Police's City Centre Inspector, Steve Baker, said there was little his officers could do about the sale under the present law, but warned anyone buying them was likely to be breaking the law once they set foot outside the shop.