POLICE worked to disrupt violent crime and warned about the dangers of carrying weapons by setting up knife arches at Brighton Station.

Officers set up the detectors to screen people as they left the station on Thursday afternoon and evening (August 12).

Some 1,500 were screened by the arches, with nine people searched and one woman given a community resolution for the possession of Class B drugs.

The measures are part of Operation Safety, Sussex Police's response to serious violence and knife crime across the county. The force is one of 18 to be awarded almost £2 million of funding to tackle knife crime.

Inspector Simon Yates said: "Part of this operation is a proactive operation to deter anyone thinking of bringing anything they shouldn't, such as weapons, into Brighton."

Sussex Police aim to use the equipment to screen people for weapons in other parts of the county as and when required.

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Inspector Yates explained that, alongside measures like this, intervention and education is equally important, if not more so.

A police van was parked outside the station, playing educational videos to explain how dangerous carrying a knife is and the catastrophic effects if caught carrying such a weapon.

To those thinking of carrying a knife with them when heading out, Inspector Yates said: "Really question why you are carrying that knife. If it's for self-protection, understand that actually it's more likely to be used on you than not. You are more likely to be put in more dangerous situations."

He also implored family and friends of those who may be carrying a weapon to have that "difficult conversation" and explain the consequences.

Despite the measures being introduced, Inspector Yates said: "Sussex, in comparison to the country, is an extremely safe place to live.

"Our knife crime figures are relatively low in comparison to other places within the country, but we have a dedicated resource to tackle it and we want to make that even lower and make Sussex an even safer place to live.

"We all have a part to play in tackling knife crime and we encourage anyone with information or concerns to report it to us so we can take action."