Knife drama at Metro station

Dec 10 2007 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

DRAMA unfolded at a popular North-East market yesterday as a youth brandishing a kitchen knife threatened members of the public.

Police officers stormed Tynemouth Metro Station during its weekly Sunday craft market to intercept a youth who had managed to board a train with the weapon.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said that officers had been called to North Parade in Whitley Bay at about 2pm after receiving a report that a young man was carrying a large blade.

The 17-year-old managed to travel between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth stations, but the train driver was alerted and instructed to stop the train. The youth then threatened officers with the blade before being arrested.

Police armed themselves with Tasers although they were not deployed.

Eye witness Jim Harland, 72, of Cypress Gardens, Blyth, Northumberland, said: “There was a lot of commotion at the Metro station.

“I saw a man and several police officers, one with a Taser gun pointed at him shouting at him to drop it and to put it down.

“I didn’t see the knife but other people at the station told me afterwards he had a large knife and had been threatening passengers on the train with it. Nobody was panicking. One woman actually thought it was being acted out for a film.”

A spokesperson for Metro operator Nexus said they were working with police who are assessing CCTV footage.

Superintendent Ralph Logan, said: “Extra police patrols are operated throughout the festive season to target drunkenness and violence and these are the sort of incidents that officers are fully trained to deal with.”

Last night the 17-year-old was in custody after being arrested for possessing an offensive weapon.