PASSENGERS were being subjected to airport-style security at a Hampshire railway station today as part of an on-going crackdown on knife crime.

Metal detector gates and hand-held scanners will be in operation at Southampton Central train station in a bid to take weapons off the streets.

Codenamed Operation Shield, the scheme began in London earlier in the year and has been touring the country ever since.

The equipment has been set up at key stations across the country where British Transport Police officers have been conducting random checks on commuters and passengers.

It is hoped the move will cut knife crime on the railways and increase passenger safety.

About 20,000 people have so far been stopped to go through the specially-designed arches which work like airport security and trigger if any metal object is being concealed.

Police involved in Operation Shield have so far made 175 arrests and seized 178 weapons.

A BTP spokesperson said: "The operation is all about eradicating weapons from the railways and follows on from the national knife amnesty that saw tens of thousands of weapons handed in.

"Along with the gate to walk through hand-held scanners will be in use by officers and leaflets will also be distributed to those using the railways to explain the operation. It is a high-profile campaign to really make sure a strong message goes out to the public that knives will not be tolerated and to reassure commuters."

The operation follows on from the knife amnesty, which in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight saw the highest number of weapons handed in.

A total of 4,636 knives and other weapons were handed in at special amnesty bins in police stations across the two counties during the campaign, which ran for five weeks. Nationally, a total of 89,864 knives were surrendered on a no-questions asked basis.

In Southampton 637 knives were handed in while in the central command unit, covering Winchester and Fareham, 1,273 were surrendered. In tthe New Forest 1,001 knives were deposited in the amnesty bins.