Officers arrested a man last night during a metal detector arch operation to tackle knife crime in the Leicester city centre.
Throughout the evening (Thursday October 28), a total of 407 people walked under the airport style metal arch in Market Street and Humberstone Gate.
Six people were searched and a pair of scissors, three knives and some razor blades were confiscated.
Police hope that the operation will help reassure people in the city centre that they are continuously working hard to keep Leicester a safe place.
One man, aged 24-years-old, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and a second man, aged 20, voluntarily spoke to officers after being found with a knife.
Both men were interviewed by police and given a police caution for possession of a bladed article.
All knives confiscated during the operation will now be destroyed.
Inspector Jason Ross, the Commander of the City Centre policing unit, said: “Last night’s operation proves that although Leicester doesn’t have a problem with knife crime it is always worth carrying out these operations. It is reassuring to know that five bladed weapons are no longer on the streets of Leicester.
“A lot of people walked under the arch, a total of 407, and only five items were confiscated. Thankfully that is a very small number.
“Hopefully those involved in last night’s operation now have a better understanding of the laws around possessing a knife and will take that message away with them.”
The operations are being run by the Safer Leicester Partnership as part of the Government project TKAP (Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence).
Superintendent Stuart Prior, who is leading the project on behalf of the Safer Leicester Partnership, said:
“I was out working with the officers on this last night and would consider it a real success.
“Most people who walked through the arch were really cooperative and I think this reflects the attitude of most people in Leicester, there were only a handful of people weren’t quite as appreciative.”
