A man and a teenage boy have been charged by police in Maidstone after being found with knives.

Officers using stop-and-search powers seized the blades during separate incidents in the town on Tuesday.

At around 1pm, a man reported to be acting suspiciously in a car park in Brewer Street was stopped and a weapon described as a utility knife was recovered, along with separate blades.

Daniel Baker, 24, of Tonbridge Road, was arrested and later charged with possessing a bladed article in a public place and was remanded in custody to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday).

At 3pm on the same day a group of three people were seen to walk away, when approached by officers in Brenchley Gardens.

They were stopped nearby and searched due to their suspicious behaviour and a 17-year-old boy from Harrietsham was arrested after drugs and a knife were found in his possession.

He was subsequently charged with possessing a bladed article in a public place and with possession of cannabis.

He has been bailed to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on May 21.

Police have also been seen using a 'knife bar' - which functions like a metal detector - in Brenchley Gardens in recent weeks.

It comes after the prime minister came under fire for suggesting it was not possible to just "arrest ourselves out of" the knife crime epidemic sweeping the country.

Inspector Mark Hedges, of the Maidstone Community Safety Unit said: "We are committed to protecting our communities from knife crime and the harm it causes.

"Carrying a knife also increases the risk of being the victim of a serious assault and our officers will continue to take robust and proactive action to detect, stop and search those who we believe may be in possession of weapons."

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