Weapons seized during Operation Sceptre action in West Sussex

Police working as part of Operation Sceptre, the nationwide campaign to tackle knife crime, executed a warrant at an address in Storrington and seized 120 weapons including knives, crossbows and swords.

The warrant, carried out about 12 midday on Friday (13 November) followed information regarding the manufacture and distribution of weapons.

A 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the manufacture of offensive weapons and has been released under investigation while enquiries are ongoing.

Sergeant Scott Walters said: “Keeping knives and dangerous items off the streets and away from the communities we serve to protect is one of our key priorities. 

“This is a huge number of weapons we now know have been safely recovered and I’d like to thank the fantastic work from our officers in making this possible.”

The warrant followed police teams working as part of Operation Sceptre have seized a number of weapons after visiting a number of addresses across West Sussex on Thursday (12 November)

Following information from UK Border Force, officers visited 12 addresses of people who have imported knives and offered them the opportunity to hand them over. 

A total of 14 knives and one extendable baton were seized by officers. Four community resolutions were issued to individuals who had imported prohibited weapons. 

Sergeant Scott Walters added: "Visiting these individuals provided us with the opportunity to further understand why people are buying weapons and put safeguarding in place for those who need it.

"This work forms a crucial part of our campaign against knife crime. If we can work with our partners in UKBF to stop weapons entering the country in the first place, this reduces the risk of them reaching the streets and our communities and causing harm."

Anyone with information or concerns about knife crime is asked to report online or call 101.