Police put knife crime under spot light

A MACHINE that detects knives was used in Accrington for the fourth time as part of a police crackdown on alcohol related violence.

On Saturday 22 November and again on Saturday 29 November, the mobile metal detector arch was used to screen people who passed through for knives or offensive weapons at the Bridge Inn.

This was followed by a flood lit projector the following week, which was used to display the number of people searched.

Police now have a stock of these machines that can be quickly set up anywhere and are hoping the initiative sends a positive message out.

Sgt Ian Corbett said: "These events allow us to demonstrate that Accrington doesn't have a knife crime problem and that our Town Centres are safe places to visit."

Led by the Town Centre Policing team and local licensees, the high profile operation was held as part of the local alcohol harm reduction plan, which aims to make the Town Centres safer for everyone.

Sgt Ian Corbett added: "The detector is a new piece of kit that can be easily assembled and deployed at short notice. On both dates we carried out a questionnaire aimed at people passing through the arch. We had a really positive response from members of the public and licensees alike and as a result of this operation no weapons were recovered.

"It is interesting to note that more people felt safer when the projector was used during the second operation. We will continue to use this equipment at other pubs and clubs leading up to Christmas.

Sgt Simon Holderness who assisted with the latest deployment said: "The projector is a good way of getting our message across to as many people as possible that this operation is about making people feel safe. Surveys carried out on both nights showed that the projected messages contributed to more people feeling safe.

Licensing Officer Les Sholicar who assisted the operation added: "This and many other initiatives have received the whole hearted support from licensees through the pub watch scheme".