Police erect a knife arch at the ramp in Birmingham city centre

West Midlands Police has initiated a new crackdown on knife crime in Birmingham city centre.

Operation Sceptre is especially designed to keep up the pressure or on criminals armed with weapons in public and those who carry illegal drugs.

Knife arches were erected across the city centre including the ramp leading to Grand Central and Priory Queensway. Officers asked members of the public to walk through the gateways - but it was not compulsory to do so.

A WMP spokesperson added: “We can use existing powers to stop and search people for weapons where we have reasonable grounds to do so.”

Drugs dogs were also used as part of the initiative and officers worked with partner agencies to pull over vehicles suspected of being linked to crime near Hockley Circus.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green said: "The knife arch is part of a broad suite of measures that we’ve got. It’s a real preventative measure, it’s very visible in our communities.

"We’re using that alongside our presence on the streets today, We’ll be continuing to be present across all of our communities today and in the future as we continue to talk to and engage with the public, but particularly young people about the dangers of knife crime and the dangers of carrying knives."

For more about Operation Sceptre, search #OpSceptre on social media. For more support and advice about how you or your loved ones can be guided away from knife crime, visit lifeorknife.