Police say they are stepping up patrols across Ribbleton and Ashton-on-Ribble this evening after finding a man and boy in possession of knives.

An 18-year-old man from Ribbleton and a 17-year-old boy from Preston were detained for possessing a knife and an offensive weapon.

Police were called to Inkerman Street, in Ashton-on-Ribble, at 1.46pm on Wednesday (16 April).

Read more: Ashton-on-Ribble problem property closed by police

It followed reports of people being seen with weapons inside the property.

A large knife and a large quantity of suspected Class A drugs were also uncovered.

A police spokesperson said:” We know that there have been some concerning incidents in Preston of late involving weapons and we just wanted to reassure you that we are taking this issue extremely seriously and taking positive action to tackle it. We will not tolerate anyone carrying weapons on our streets and if you are caught with them, you should expect a visit to one of our custody suites.

“You should expect to see an increased police presence in Ribbleton this evening as reassurance. Please feel free to stop an officer and raise any concerns you might have.”

Anyone with information on the Ashton incident or who witnessed it is asked to call police on 101 quoting log 0669 of 16 April

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