Knife arch in Croydon McDonald's to help Met Police crack down on crime

A knife arch was installed in a South London branch of McDonald's to help police crack down on violent crime.

Police tweeted an image of two officers standing beside the metal detector in Croydon town centre.

The arch was installed as part of Operation Cleveland which aims to tackle violent crime crime in the area following a spate of stabbings.

The Met said it was working in conjunction with the fast food restaurant on Church Street in Croydon "to aid in the issues seen in the area".

In a statement a McDonald’s told ITV News: "At McDonald’s we want to be a good neighbour in the communities we serve.

"We have a strong working relationship with the local police in Croydon and our restaurants support them with a number of initiatives to tackle issues and make Croydon a more welcoming place for everyone."

Earlier this month a charity warned the Covid pandemic had made teenagers "more vulnerable" and led to a disproportionate increase in the killing of young people by knives.

According to a report by the Office for National Statistics, the number of people killed with a knife in England and Wales in 2021/22 was the highest on record for 76 years. The ONS said the recent increase was driven by an 18% rise in the number of male victims, from 184 to 218, in the 12 months to March 2022. The largest volume increase was for teenage boys aged 16 to 17, rising from 10 homicides to 24. Patrick Green, chief executive of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust which was set up in 2008 following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Ben in north London, cited the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason for knife crime rising faster amongst teenagers than any other age group. Mr Green said: "As we emerged from Covid restrictions and those restrictions were lifted, we were seeing more evidence of young people made more vulnerable by Covid. "Gangs are particularly good at picking up on vulnerabilities, are quick to pick them up and indeed lure young people and exploit them in criminal acts. "We think there could be a link there." Mr Green highlighted data from the ONS report that shows knives or sharp objects were used in 75% of teenage murders compared with just 40% in adults. He added: "Some feel less secure in their community spaces, more worried. We know that fear is a factor…in terms of carrying a knife. It’s one of the motivations. They feel safe carrying a knife and that alleviates the fear."

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