Meat cleaver recovered after man spotted 'acting suspiciously' in Preston city centre stopped by police

Concerns were raised to police about a man who was possibly in possession of a knife at around 3.10pm today (November 17).

An officer stopped the man in Lune Street before police detained and searched him under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act,

A meat cleaver was recovered and the 47-year-old man was subsequently arrested.

Earlier in the day, police recovered 102 blades and weapons from the Knife Surrender Bin in Princess Street.

This week marks the start of Operation Sceptre - a national knife crime initiative.

The operation aims to target those who are carrying weapons, raise awareness of the dangers and impacts of knife crime, and engage with retailers.

Taking place from November 15-21, Operation Sceptre runs nationally twice a year and supports the work that Lancashire Police does to keep people across the county safe from knife and violent crime.

Throughout Lancashire, officers will be working together with partner organisations to visit schools, search for knives in public places, conduct high visibility patrols, use metal detecting arches to identify people who may be carrying knives, and give advice to shops on the laws on selling knives.

Temp Chief Insp Dave Oldfield, of Lancashire Violence Reduction Network, said: "Knife crime impacts not only the individuals involved, but their families, friends and wider community.

"It’s truly devastating when an incident occurs so I urge anyone thinking about carrying a knife to reconsider as in a brief moment your life can be changed forever.

"Knife and violent crime are a priority and we continue to work together with partners to tackle the root causes of serious violence so that we can keep people and communities safe."

If you have any information about knife crime in Lancashire, contact the police on 101 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 per month for the first two months. Try us today by clicking HERE.