Imitation firearm found following traffic stop as man arrested

A man has been arrested after we found an imitation firearm in a car following a traffic stop in Stoke-on-Trent.

Patrolling officers from our road crime team (RCT) spotted a Vauxhall being driven erratically in the Hanley area at about 2.40pm on Monday (30 December). We pulled it over on a car-park off Botteslow Street and searched the inside.

A black airsoft pistol was found in the driver’s side door.

We then searched a home in the area and found a number of display swords and weapons. They were all seized.

A 35-year-old man, from Stoke-on-Trent, was arrested on suspicion of possessing an imitation firearm in a public place and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

He was released on conditional police bail while enquiries continue.

Officers from our road crime team are continuing to proactively target those using our roads to commit crime.

In a crackdown over the Christmas period, officers arrested more than 150 people on suspicion of drink and drug driving and carried out more than 1,500 roadside tests.

To read more about what they’ve been doing, visit our website: More than 150 arrests and 1,500 roadside tests in drink and drug drive operation | Staffordshire Police