Melton pub-goers scanned for knives in police operation

Saturday night pub-goers in Melton were scanned for knives at the weekend as part of a police operation to raise awareness of the dangers posed by carrying them.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Oct 2017, 11:21 BST
Updated 12th Dec 2017, 08:28 BST
Police officers with a knife arch metal-detector outside the Black Swan pub in Melton which was deployed as part of an operation to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying knives EMN-170910-101209001Police officers with a knife arch metal-detector outside the Black Swan pub in Melton which was deployed as part of an operation to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying knives EMN-170910-101209001
Police officers with a knife arch metal-detector outside the Black Swan pub in Melton which was deployed as part of an operation to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying knives EMN-170910-101209001

Officers set up a knife arch metal-detecting machine, similar to those operating at airports, outside the Black Swan in Sherrard Street.

People entering the pub were asked to walk through the arch and checked to see if they had any bladed weapons on them.

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PC Paul Farrar, of Leicestershire Police, said: “The knife arch was very well received and we had the full support of the landlady, who has recently taken over the running of the pub.

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“Thankfully no knives were seized and many locals stopped to have a chat with us about what we were doing.

“We will be taking the arch out in Market Harborough and Oakham in the coming weeks.”

The knife arch, together with metal detector wands, are being used around the county as part of the force’s ongoing #LivesNotKnives campaign, which aims to highlight the dangers of carrying a knife and the potential four-year prison sentence for those caught offending.

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Shane O’Neill, Superintendent of Local Policing, said: “Activities like this discourage knife carrying and go some way to reducing the number of potential victims of knife crime.

“Carrying a knife is a serious crime. The force is committed to reducing knife crime and we hope that, through education and engagement, we can raise awareness of the dangers this can bring with those carrying knives and their friends, families and peers.”