Man arrested following incident on a bus in Huyton

We have arrested a man from Bootle for multiple offences following reports that a man was in possession of a knife on a bus.

At around 11pm on Tuesday 30 May, it was reported that a man was disturbing other passengers on a bus and also told them he had a knife.

After he got off the bus in Huyton, near East Prescot Road, police attended and following a brief pursuit on foot, a 31-year-old man was arrested and a knife seized by officers.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife/blade/sharp pointed article in a public place, criminal damage and using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress.

During his transfer to police custody, the man directed homophobic and racist insults towards officers and he was further arrested for racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress through words/writing.

Knowsley Targeted Policing Inspector Brian Loughran said: “Firstly, I’d like to thank the person who reported this incident to us. It would have been distressing for the passengers on this bus journey to witness this incident, so it’s vital that people tell us so we can take immediate action in such circumstances.

“As a result of this report to police, our officers were able to get to the scene quickly and make an arrest. A knife has also been recovered and seized.

“Tackling knife crime is a priority for Merseyside Police and we recently took part in the national Operation Sceptre, which was to target those carrying weapons, prevent knife related offences, raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime, and provide young people with more positive alternatives to crime.

“Merseyside Police know we cannot tackle the issue of knife crime alone. With our continued determination and support from partner agencies and the public, I have no doubt we can positively impact our communities to ensure the safety of all those living in and visiting our region.”   

If you have information about someone carrying a knife, or know someone involved in crime, get in touch @MerPolCC, call 101 or contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.