Swiss jacket with knife pulled from shops

A discount retail chain in Britain says it has removed Swiss-branded jackets from its stores after learning that a pocketknife attached by a chain was included in the purchase.

T.K. Maxx said it removed the Strellson Swiss Cross coats from sale as soon as it became aware that the coats included the promotional gift.

Britain has seen a recent spate of knife attacks, particularly among young people, leading to street protests against the crime wave.

A total of 27 teenagers have been the victims of fatal stabbings in London alone this year, which is already higher than the total for 2007.

Last year, a T.K. Maxx assistant was stabbed to death at work in a store north of London. The retail store is owned by Massachusetts-based TJX Companies Inc., which also owns United States chains T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.

Strellson Swiss Cross is a brand of the Swiss-owned clothing company Strellson, with headquarters in Kreuzlingen. The story of the Swiss jacket with the concealed knife has made headlines in British tabloids.