Our detectives investigating reports of a machete incident in Nottingham city centre yesterday have made two arrests – while a teenager has pleaded guilty over a stabbing at Primark earlier in the week.

A 31-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening (Thursday) on suspicion of affray after reports of a fight in Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, earlier in the day, at approximately 11.40am.

A second suspect, a 28-year-old man, was arrested earlier today, also on suspicion of affray. No injuries were reported and both suspects remain in police custody.

Meanwhile, a 16-year-old boy has pleaded guilty in relation to a stabbing at Nottingham’s Primark store. A 17-year-old boy sustained non life-threatening injuries to his chest inside the store in Long Row on Sunday (23 February).

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (26 February) and pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.

He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 26 March. Magistrates’ granted him bail with strict conditions not to enter Nottingham city centre.

Superintendent Chris Pearson, Area Commander for the City Division, said he hoped the two arrests and the guilty plea would go some way into reassuring the public following the two incidents. 

He said: “Carrying and using offensive weapons and knives is extremely dangerous. It will never be tolerated in Nottingham and those doing so will be identified and apprehended.

“Working alongside partner agencies, we are united around tackling knife crime and our message is crystal clear: we are simply not going to accept it. It is our top priority as a police force and we work with a number of key partners to reduce offending, prevent incidents occurring, and deter young people from carrying knives.

“The incidents that have taken place in the city centre this week will have caused alarm and distress. But I’d like to reassure the public that we are out there making arrests and putting offenders before the courts.

“To further reassure the public, we are proactively conducting high-visibility patrols to ensure the city centre continues to be a safe place – and Nottingham City Council are supporting us with additional visibility. These patrolling officers are visible and I would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to them.

“In addition to these patrols, our brand-new CCTV van with the capacity to capture a 360-degree view of an area has been deployed to act as a deterrent and to capture evidence. It has the capacity to view an entire area, zoom in directly on offenders, identify any potential threats or capture the direction that offenders leave a scene.

“The city already has a large network of CCTV cameras, which makes it incredibly difficult for someone to commit a crime and think they can get away with it.

“While knife crime is falling across Nottingham, we know the impact that these incidents have on our city and that is why are committed to making our communities safer and take a zero tolerance approach to offensive weapon and knife crime.

“I’d urge anyone who has information in relation to offensive weapons or knife crime to contact us. Information from the public is vital in helping us crackdown on violent crime.”