Videos show man carrying 'large blade' in Coleraine town centre

Police have made an arrest after videos circulating online showed a man carrying what appears to be a large blade.

The incident occurred in Coleraine on Wednesday morning.

A number of videos have surfaced online of an armed man dressed all in black, wearing a mask.

It is understood members of the public intervened and tackled the man.

Russell Gardiner, who's 32 and from Coleraine, can be seen in the videos and was involved in disarming the man.

He said: "I was at the barbers and I saw him... I thought it was strange he was wearing a mask on a day like that.

"I saw what he was carrying. He was swinging it about - we asked people in the other shops to shut their door and lock themselves up basically.

"It went down the road a little and we followed him round the back of a pub and I got the knife off of him and we held him on the ground just. Between two of us we got him pulled down."

In a statement, a PSNI spokesperson said: "Police have arrested a 23-year-old man following the report of a man being armed with a knife in the Bushmills Road area this morning."He remains in custody at this time."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.