Boy, 16, arrested after public spots teenager carrying a machete in Wellingborough

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy suspected of carrying a machete in Wellingborough.

The suspect was seen to make a run for it, throwing the weapon away as he fled following reports from the public who spotted the weapon.

Officers summoned the Northamptonshire Police heliicopter as aerial support ad he was sniffed out by one of the county's police dogs who tracked him to an address in Shelley Road in the town.Police dog

A spokesman for the force said: "We had a report from a member of the public in Longfellow Road, Wellingborough, who had seen a boy with a machete in the area between 11.50am and 1.20pm on Saturday (May 30).

"We deployed and located the suspect who made off on foot, discarding the weapon nearby.

"PD Olly tracked the suspect to an address in Shelley Road where a 16-yer-old boy was found and arrested on suspicion of possessing a bladed article. He has since been released under investigation pending further enquiries."

Olly, a four-year-old German Shepherd, clocked up his 100th arrest earlier this year in less than three years on the force.

Office for National Statistics date recently revealed there were 629 knife crimes recorded in Northamptonshire during 2019.

And a report last year spelt out how tackling knife crime has become one of the force's top priorities, in the wake of seven murder investigations launched in the county since March 2018 that involved knives.

Chief Inspector Neil Dorothy said: “Knife crime is a national issue that Northamptonshire Police takes very seriously and is tackling head-on.

“The force has been bringing more people to justice over knife-related offending and will continue to do so. Our officers are dedicated to fighting crime and protecting people, both in terms of proactive policing and preventative engagement and diversion work.

“We’re not standing still on knife crime and will continue to work with our partners and communities to tackle this issue together.”