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Armed teenage gang stopped on bus | Armed teenage gang stopped on bus |
(about 4 hours later) | |
An arsenal of weapons including knives, a baseball bat and screwdrivers were found when police searched a teenage gang on a bus in south-east London. | An arsenal of weapons including knives, a baseball bat and screwdrivers were found when police searched a teenage gang on a bus in south-east London. |
Officers became suspicious when they saw a large number of youths boarding a bus in Evelyn Street, Deptford, on Saturday night, and called for back-up. | Officers became suspicious when they saw a large number of youths boarding a bus in Evelyn Street, Deptford, on Saturday night, and called for back-up. |
The youths were locked inside and when searched, 16 weapons were found. | The youths were locked inside and when searched, 16 weapons were found. |
A total of 24 teenagers, aged 14 to 18, were arrested on the top deck of the number 47 bus and later bailed. | |
The bus was stopped in Evelyn Street, at the junction with Oxestalls Road, at about 2000 BST. | |
A number of passengers got off and the driver was alerted, instructed to lock the doors and wait for the police. | |
Claw hammer | |
When the officers arrived the bus was driven to Lewisham police station where the teenagers were arrested. | |
The youths were searched and six knives, two screwdrivers, a corkscrew, a golf club, a metal baseball bat, a mallet, two wrench handles, a claw hammer and a metal bar were found and seized. | |
Police arrested 24 teenagers, from the Deptford, Rotherhithe and Lewisham areas, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder. They were all later released on bail. | |
Ch Insp Jerry Peppin appealed for any passengers who had travelled on the bus, and saw anything suspicious, to contact them. | |
He said: "We are determined to rid our streets of potentially dangerous weapons." | |
Operation Blunt 2 was launched last week to tackle unacceptable levels of serious youth violence, particularly the carrying and use of knives on London's streets. | Operation Blunt 2 was launched last week to tackle unacceptable levels of serious youth violence, particularly the carrying and use of knives on London's streets. |