A GROUP of keen metal detectorists have been helping out Wiltshire Police by searching for knives in and around Westbury.

Peter Pearce, David Mallows and Gary Clifford from the Wyvern Historical and Detecting club based in Swindon, gave up their time to meet up with two Community Police Officers to help tackle knife crime.

Despite finding no knives, they did find a pair of sharp scissors and several cylinders used for drug taking.

Mr Clifford said: "There is a national problem of our young people carrying knives, incorrectly believing that they need them for defence.

"These knives aren't necessarily being taken home because that's risky.

"They don't want to carry them around too much as this risks being stopped and arrested for carrying.

"This is part of a much larger initiative of detectorists helping the police, and other detectorists will be carrying out similar exercises in the near future."