Man arrested and axe seized by officers in West Bromwich

We've arrested a man and recovered an axe after officers spotted suspicious behaviour near to a gym in West Bromwich.

Officers in uniform and plain clothes were on a Project Guardian patrol, which target hotspot areas for serious youth violence and knife crime, at around 5.15pm on Saturday.

Their attention was drawn by a man acting suspiciously near West Bromwich Ringway and he was detained. A search of the area resulted in the recovery of an axe.

The 19-year-old, arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, was questioned and has been released on police bail as enquiries continue.

All over the West Midlands our Project Guardian teams work with Neighbourhood teams to act on intelligence and information received from the public and carry out targeted patrols and deployments.

Remember to report any suspicious activity via 101 or via our website and always call 999 in an emergency.