Metal detectors 'cut knife crime'

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British Transport Police (BTP) chief constable Ian Johnston said the portable units have helped make railways a no-go zone for knife-wielding thugs.

New figures revealed BTP achieved crime-fighting success almost across the board.

Mr Johnston said knife-enabled crimes on the London transport network have fallen from a mid-2006 peak of about 70 every month to around 20.

He said operations in which metal detectors and hand-held scanners are used at busy rail stations are largely responsible for the success.

His comments came after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair pledged to "bend every sinew" to tackle the capital's knife-crime crisis.

Senior officers said 244 knife arches and 550 scanners are now in use across London as police try and take potentially lethal weapons off the streets.

Mr Johnston said: "The reason we do not get very much knife crime is that people know they are taking a risk turning up with a knife. The visual impact is important. We give a very clear message that we do not tolerate this.

"We do not catch people going through the arches with knives. What we catch is a lot of people seeing them and walking away."

Mr Johnston said the role of neighbourhood policing teams with responsibility for certain stations should not be underestimated. He said although some see the teams as "warm and cuddly" his BTP units have teeth and their "primary role" is to take out dangerous criminals.