THREE teenagers were arrested in a Hampshire town after police were granted extra stop and search powers in a bid to prevent serious violence

A 15-year-old boy and two other people were detained in Eastleigh after a 24-hour Section 60 order was imposed on Tuesday evening.

Police say they recovered a knife and a screwdriver, both of which could have been used as weapons.

A police spokesperson said: "The emergency power allows us to stop and search anyone, without the restrictions of normal stop and search.

"It was implemented in Eastleigh because we had reason to believe an incident of serious violence may occur, after it was reported two groups of young people may be targeting one another with weapons in the area earlier in the day.

"As a result we stopped and searched three people in the area.

"Arrests were made and a number of items, including a knife and a screwdriver, which could be used as weapons, were recovered from the street.

"A 15-year-old boy from Botley was arrested on suspicion of one count of violent disorder, one count of possession of an offensive weapon, and one count of possession of a Class B drug. He was later released on conditional bail until May 31 pending further police enquiries.

"A 17-year-old boy from Eastleigh was arrested on suspicion of one count of violent disorder. He remains in custody at this time.

"An 18-year-old man from Eastleigh was arrested on suspicion of one count of violent disorder and one count of possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at this time.

"Officers are continuing to review ongoing activity in response to any further escalating concerns."

Eastleigh District Commander, Chief Inspector Marcus Cator, added: "Section 60 is an emergency power and can be put in place quickly to prevent incidents of serious violence.

"It was implemented it based on information received in relation to ongoing disorder.

“This power also enables us to apprehend those who are carrying weapons in the area or are involved in planned serious violence.

“As a result our officers arrested two young people the following day, in the same area as the initial incident, and in possession of offensive weapons.

"These have been seized, meaning that they can no longer be used to cause harm. It demonstrates the effectiveness of the Section 60.

“I would like to stress that we are not able to undertake this type of activity without information from communities. We act on the information you provide to us and we have responded accordingly.

"We have been asked why we promote our Section 60 emergency powers – it is because we want to take every opportunity to prevent serious violence.

"It is also important that our communities know that we are in their neighbourhoods, taking action in relation to violent crime. This may result in an increased police presence.

"I would like to thank members of the public for their ongoing support in us taking this action.

"You are our eyes and ears out there so if you see or hear anything suspicious, or if you have any concerns or issues, please do get in touch.

"We must continue to work together to tackle serious violence in our communities. Information we receive from the community allows us take these steps and prevent further crime.

“If you have any concerns or information we should know, please do call 101 quoting 44210079007 or via the Hampshire Constabulary website."