Police discover arsenal of weapons onboard bus
Officers called for back-up before confronting the gang
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Monday, 19, May 2008 07:49
A large collection of weapons have been found by police after searching a gang of teenagers onboard a bus in south-east London.
The BBC reports that officers became suspicious when a large group of youths boarded a bus in Evelyn Street, Deptford, on Saturday night.
The police ordered the driver to lock the bus and called for back-up.
When searched a total of 16 weapons were discovered amongst the gang, including six knives, two screwdrivers, a corkscrew, a golf club, a metal baseball bat, a mallet, two wrench hammers, a claw hammer and a metal bar.
The 24 teenagers, aged between 14 and 18, were arrested on the top deck of the bus on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and were later released on police bail.
The BBC quotes Chief Inspector Jerry Peppin as saying: "We are determined to rid our streets of potentially dangerous weapons."
Last week the new mayor of London, Boris Johnson, witnessed the launch of Operation Blunt 2 aimed at reducing youth violence in the capital.
Mr Johnson also announced plans for more than 450 new police officers to be used to patrol bus hubs.