Man detained for carrying knives 'was circus act'

A man confronted by officers for carrying knives in public was practising a circus act, police have said. Police had rushed to Throop Mill in Dorset after reports of a man seen with two knives. A call was made to police at 2.27pm on Saturday afternoon from a member of the public. A spokesperson for Dorset Police said a man had been detained. He was released and driven back to Throop Mill at around 4.30pm by a police officer. His two knives, which he described as throwing knives, were kept by officers at Winton station.

The Bournemouth man, who did not want to be named, said he had nothing bad to say about the police, who were ‘just doing their job’. He said he had been sat by the river splitting sticks with the knives and hoped he would be able to have them returned to him. Visitors to the beauty spot say they saw around six police cars parked up at the Mill on Saturday. Kieran Selby said he went past around 3pm and saw all the police cars after hearing sirens.



He said people were still being allowed to walk down to the river and there were lots of visitors around at that time. Steve Johns, who was fishing by the river, said the man who had been quizzed had been speaking to him before the incident. “He seemed a proper gentleman. He was stood on the bridge talking to us; he obviously loved the countryside as he was quite knowledgeable. He left and then came back for his walking stick. Then we saw the police before he walked back over the bridge with them following him.

“He wasn’t cuffed or anything like that; just walking in front of them. He seemed like a lovely old gentleman.” A spokesperson for Dorset Police said that they had been called following a sighting of a male in possession of two knives in the area of the river by Throop. They located and spoke to a man in his 50s, in lawful possession of props used in a knife throwing act. The spokesperson said the man had been practising near the riverbank. They added: "No criminal offence was disclosed and no further action will be taken in this matter."