Four arrested after blade and baseball bat ‘melee’ in Penwortham

At around 3.45pm this afternoon (Tueday, March 26th), two off duty police officers witnessed an altercation between a group of around 12 people close to the Spar convenience store on Liverpool Road. One of the group was seen with a baseball bat while another had a knife and a third was in possession of a metal bar.

The officers, along with patrols already in the vicinity, have then attended to break up the melee. No one is believed to have been injured.

A 17-year-old boy from Penwortham was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession of a knife/bladed article. A second boy, aged 17 and from the Chorley area, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, while the other people made off. A baseball bat was recovered close by.

A Citroen DS3 car believed to be connected to the incident was pursued and stopped on Pope Lane. The driver, a 21-year-old man from Penwortham, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

A woman, 19, from Preston, seen close to a Vauxhall Vectra also believed to have been involved, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

All four remain in police custody at this time.

Ch Insp Steven Sansbury from Preston Police said: “I would like to reassure people that this incident has now concluded and we have made arrests thanks to the swift actions of our officers who were in the area.

“That said, we are aware of the concern that this will have caused people and will continue to patrol the area. In addition, Section 60 powers have been put in place in the Broadgate and Lower Penwortham areas. This gives us the power to search people or vehicles without suspicion in those areas. Please be assured that it’s not about targeting people, but about making sure we do all we can to keep people safe. These powers will remain in place overnight.

“If you know anything about the incident or the people involved, please speak to us as soon as possible. If you see anything suspicious in the area, such as the weapons that may have been involved, please do not touch them but ring the police immediately.”

Anyone with information can call 101 quoting incident reference 915 of today (March 26th). Alternatively independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.