Second person arrested after confrontation with a machete in Nottingham
It happened in Old Market Square on Sunday
Police have arrested a second person in connection to a machete confrontation in Nottingham city centre.
A group of youths were confronted in Old Market Square, outside the Council House on Sunday (16th Nov).
No injuries were reported. Police said the suspects then fled the scene.
A 14-year-old was arrested on Wednesday (19th Nov) on suspicion of violent disorder, possession of a knife blade / pointed article in a public place and possession of an offensive weapon.
A 23-year-old now joins him in custody, after they were arrested last night (19th Nov) on suspicion of violent disorder.
Police say they are looking to trace further suspects.
City Commander Superintendent Chris Pearson said:
"We made a firm commitment to the public that we would ensure those responsible for what happened on Sunday were located and arrested.
“We now have two people in police custody and continue to pursue other suspects in relation to this senseless and dangerous incident.
“We’ve had a consistent police presence in the city centre and the identification of these two suspects came as a result of uniformed officers recognising them from CCTV and mobile phone images, as well as our intelligence gathering techniques.
“We’ve also had a strong response to our media appeal and we would once again like to thank those who have come forward with information.
"Let me be clear – we will make life as difficult for anyone who thinks they can come into the city with a knife.
“We will use all the powers at our disposal to make sure they are banned from the city centre and won’t have access to any of its facilities over the Christmas period.
“This is how seriously we take knife crime in Nottingham."
Assistant Chief Constable Suk Verma said he hoped the arrests would reassure the public that Nottinghamshire Police was taking a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime. He said:
“This morning a Gold meeting took place whereby our partners at Nottingham City Council, Violence Reduction Partnership, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and intelligence specialists were present to work collaboratively with us on the investigation and to develop a clear plan for enhanced visibility and engagement.
“This was a positive meeting and yielded further intelligence which will be proactively acted upon over the coming days.”