"It was a huge mistake": Couple in court over what they were selling at a Sunday morning car boot sale

A couple who were found selling a collection of martial arts weapons and knives at a Sunday morning car boot sale have avoided jail time after claiming they were unaware that their highly dangerous stock was illegal in the UK. Xing Yu, 29, and Bilian Weng, 28, both restaurant workers, shocked other traders unloading trinkets and clothing from their vehicles at 6am by displaying 12 lock knives, five nunchucks and batons on their stall.

When questioned, the pair, who are from China but have resided in Britain for over a decade, stated they did not realise they were breaking the law, as such items are regularly sold in markets in their native country. They further claimed they had bought the items from another stall at Winnick car boot sale in Warrington, Cheshire and decided to sell them on for a profit.

During a search of their home, police found a telescopic baton. At Warrington magistrates court, Yu and Weng, from Openshaw, Manchester, admitted to charges of possessing offensive weapons and bladed articles in a public place, as well as possession of an offensive weapon in a private place and possession of a weapon for the purpose of sale or hire.

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The incident took place on August 4 this year, during one of the couple's regular visits to a car boot sale. This event is reputed to be one of the largest of its kind in the North West, with hundreds of sellers attending each week.

Prosecutor Mr Kassem Noureddine explained: "Essentially this is a husband and wife who go to a car boot sale as they do every Sunday to sell several items, some of which are included in the charges - the most serious of them is the possession of knives