Man charged with possession of offensive weapons

A man has been charged with two counts of possession of an offensive weapon after police stopped him in Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday (6 February).

William Hanrahan, aged 19, of Lewsey Road in Luton, was arrested in a car park in Stanborough Road at around 10.30pm.

He had been stopped by officers from Operation Scorpion* who were carrying out night-time patrols. During the arrest they seized a machete and folding lock-knife.

Hanrahan was remanded in custody.

Detective Inspector Bianca Broadbent, from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Crime Unit, said: “We are committed to tackling knife crime and I hope this news is reassuring to residents.

“I would like to remind residents that if you know somebody who is carrying a knife, you can help keep our community safer by reporting it to us.

“If you’re worried about speaking to the police, you can make a report anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers.”

You can report information online, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form (opens in a new window).

*Operation Scorpion is a specialist unit of mainly plain clothed officers who focus on tackling acquisitive crime.

Seized knife