Weekday Cross knife incident: Five teenagers arrested after wielding machetes in the street

Five teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of affray after footage emerged of large knives being wielded in the street.

Officers were called at 12.31 pm on Wednesday 31 January to Weekday Cross in Nottingham city centre by members of the public.

Footage showed what appeared to be machete-type blades being wielded.

An extensive search of the area was conducted at the time but the suspects had left the area. No injuries were reported.

Extensive CCTV inquiries and a public appeal were launched to identify those involved.

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Police attended a number of addresses across the city on Tuesday 6 February and arrested two 18-year-old men, two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy.

They remain in police custody.

Detective Sergeant Alana Scott, who is leading the investigation, said:

“This was an appalling incident, in the middle of the day, in a busy part of the city.

“We understand the concern this would have caused people who witnessed this abhorrent behaviour.

“We take all reports of knife carrying extremely seriously.

“Since this incident was reported to us, we have carried out extensive lines of inquiry to locate those responsible.

“We hope that the five arrests today will offer the public some reassurance.

“We are committed as a force to remove knives from our streets and ensure those who carry them are dealt with immediately.”

Chief Superintendent Suk Verma, head of local policing for Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“This incident understandably caused a great deal of concern in the local community and I am pleased we have been able to make these five arrests.

“I am grateful to all the officers and staff who have worked on this investigation over the last few days, and also to the members of the public who responded to our subsequent media appeal.  

“I want to be clear that incidents of this nature will always generate the most robust police response and such behaviour on our streets will not be tolerated”.

•  Video shows machetes wielded on Nottingham city street

•  Police share images after knives wielded in Nottingham Weekday Cross incident