Array of weapons taken off streets
SWORDS and knuckledusters were among the assortment of weapons seized by police in Runcorn and Widnes since the start of the year.
A Freedom Of Information (FOI) request by the Weekly News revealed that knives remained the most commonly confiscated arms, with 43 obtained by officers in Runcorn and 22 in Widnes.
Ten firearms – which include stun guns as well as conventional guns – were seized in Runcorn and six in Widnes.
The towns had largely even numbers of seizures of other weapons – two batons each, two crowbars each and two swords from opposite side of the river.
Officers uncovered three sets of knuckle dusters in Runcorn and one in Widnes.
Baseball bats were more prevalent in Widnes with two seized, while none were taken in Runcorn.
Runcorn had three weapons classed as ‘other’ – which may include a medieval-style flail found in bushes in Halton Lodge in August, and Widnes just ‘two’.
Chief Inspector Sarah Heath, of Runcorn Local Policing Unit, revealed earlier this year that officers were becoming increasingly concerned that criminals were going ‘ tooled up’ as she warned that statistics showed that those who carry weapons were more likely to end up victims of violence themselves.
Her comments followed a string of serious violent crimes in Runcorn that resulted in horrific injuries. ●
Ch Insp Heath said Runcorn had a particular issue with residents being reluctant to talk to the police. ●
These included a cyclist attacked with a piece of bike frame, a motorcyclist with bats or poles on the Hallwood ParkBeechwood footbridge, a multiple stabbing on Union Street on February 24 and a stabbing in Runcorn Old Town by the Bridgewater Canal on April 4, Police are still investigating. Anyone with any information on the Halton Lodge assault should call 101 quoting incident 877 of April 6.
For the Hallwood Park footbridge beating, quote incident 760 of January 23.
For the Union Street incident, use incident 796 of Friday, February 24.
On the Bridgewater Canal stabbing, quote 895 of April 4.