‘Huge number of weapons’ including swords and crossbows seized by police in Storrington raid

More than 100 weapons - including knives, crossbows and swords - have been seized by police after a raid on a property in Storrington.
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Officers say a 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the manufacture of offensive weapons and has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.

The police swoop happened at around midday on Friday when officers executed a warrant following information ‘regarding the manufacture and distribution of weapons.’

A total of 120 weapons were seized.

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The raid was staged as part of the police campaign Operation Sceptre - a nationwide campaign aimed at tackling knife crime.

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 seizing a number of weapons after visiting several addresses across West Sussex on Thursday (12 November).

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Following information from UK Border Force, officers say they visited 12 addresses of people who have imported knives and offered them a chance 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 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.