Armed man arrested in Ashington - as week-long crackdown on knife crime continues

Shortly after 8pm last night (Tuesday), police received a report that a man was acting aggressively at an address in Monkseaton Terrace, Ashington.

Officers were immediately deployed to the area after they were also tipped off that the 22-year-old was trying to break into the property and was believed to be carrying some kind of blade.

He was also suspected to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and was threatening the occupant.

Police also believed the man was in possession of ammonia.

Within minutes of receiving the call, officers from the Northern’s Response Policing Team had the man in handcuffs, and arrested him on suspicion of affray.

He remains in police custody as iinquiries continue.

Talking about the arrest, Chief Inspector Phil Mcconville, of Northumbria Police, said: “This was a fantastic response from officers whose immediate priority was to protect the public and detain a potentially dangerous man.

“This activity has taken place during Operation Sceptre – a national week of action dedicated to tackling knife crime, but we are dedicated to taking dangerous weapons out of circulation all year round.

“I’d like to offer thanks to those who reported this incident to police, allowing us to respond quickly and efficiently.

"And as always, a massive thank you to all officers involved in this incident – without their quick actions this could have ended far differently.

“We’re committed to making our communities a safer place and taking dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands.”

If you have any information or suspicions about activity taking place in your community, call police on 101 or go to the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of Northumbria Police’s website.