Police seized a gun after pulling over an ‘erratic’ driver in Hanley. Officers stopped the vehicle on a car park off Botteslow Street in the city centre on Monday afternoon (December 30).
A search of the vehicle uncovered a black airsoft pistol in the driver’s side door at around 2.40pm. A raid was then carried out at a nearby address where display swords and weapons were found.
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.
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: “Patrolling officers from our road crime team (RCT) spotted a Vauxhall being driven erratically in the Hanley area. 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. 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.”
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