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Television and potato peeler among weird weapons seized by Scots police

A QUILL pen, a potato peeler and a television are among weapons seized by Scots police.

Lothian and Borders Police have confiscated hundreds of unusual items which have been used in attacks or deemed offensive.

Details released under the Freedom of Information Act show that the police have also confiscated a violin case, a pizza shovel and a pool ball in a sock.

A total of 611 items were seized by the police force in 2010 including broken pool cues, knuckledusters, nunchucks and a sharpened beer can.

And by the end of July this year they had seized 311 offensive weapons.

Knives and blades make up the majority of the seizures with 337 confiscated since 2009.

Also seized were 132 baseball bats, 128 hammers, 57 golf clubs, 39 axes and 45 belts.

Officers seized the pizza shovel from a person walking along a road.
 
The violin case was confiscated after a person became violent in a supermarket and the television was seized after one man threatened to throw it at another person in a common stair.

Hundreds of seizures were also made in Edinburgh’s courts after visitors brought in knitting needles, darts, hammers and corkscrews.

In 2010, 231 knives were seized and guards also confiscated 132 screwdrivers, 197 pairs of scissors and 39 syringes.
A police spokesman said: “The range of objects seized shows that any item can inflict injury if used inappropriately and anyone found in possession of a weapon of any sorts will be robustly dealt with.”

John Lamont MSP said: “It is frightening to see the sheer range of items that thugs are willing to use as weapons. It is clear that criminals are willing to stop at nothing in their quest for violence.

“We need to make clear that carrying a weapon is unacceptable and the courts must deal firmly with those caught in possession of such weapons.”

In recent months in Edinburgh a seven-year-old child was caught by police in possession of a knife.

A pair of nine-year-olds were charged after being found wielding a snooker cue and a wooden coat stand.

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