Man arrested and knife seized in Liverpool city centre

A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of Saturday (4 September).

It was reported an altercation took place on Fleet Street during which a man produced a knife and made threats to stab another man.

An officer patrolling the city centre, assisted by door staff, pursued the suspect on foot and detained him, recovering a knife.

A 19-year-old man from Huyton was arrested on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. The man was taken into custody and was further arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a police vehicle after the door was kicked.

The man was interviewed and has been released under investigation while enquiries into the incident continue.

Detective Inspector Gavin Mulcahy said: “Since the easing of lockdown and the re-opening of our licensed premises, we have established an increased presence in Liverpool city centre to keep people safe.

“This incident shows very clearly that through working with those premises and their security staff, our officers can and do put themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe, bring offenders to justice and take dangerous weapons of the streets,

“We simply will not stand by and allow people to carry knives and threaten the safety of themselves and others.

“Fortunately the arrest was made and the knife recovered before it could cause any physical harm, and I would like to thank the door staff who alerted police so that swift action could be taken to remove this knife from our streets. 

“Our officers will continue to work tirelessly with businesses and the public and patrol busy areas of Merseyside at key times to ensure people can enjoy themselves safely without fear of violence. 

“I would urge anyone with information about knife crime to contact us. If you pass on information, we will act.” 

If you have any information about knife crime in your community please contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC, Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ or call 101. Always call 999 if a crime is in progress.