A large hunting knife has been seized by officers patrolling Rotherhithe after a spate of youths launching fireworks at members of the public.
Cops in the Territorial Support Group – often used to police riots – have been deployed to the area to stop the teens terrorising locals with the fireworks.
Officers on patrol in Helena Street on Tuesday evening noticed two boys acting “suspiciously.”
Both attempted to run off, say police, but were stopped after a chase. Police say they saw one of them, aged sixteen, throw a knife under a car, which police later recovered. He was arrested at the scene.
Inspector Lee Barnes of the Territorial Support Group said: “In the last week, the community of Rotherhithe have reached out to the Met following a number of worrying incidents where youngsters were recklessly playing with fireworks in the Canada Water area.
“This dangerous behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. My TSG unit was tasked to support local officers and to show a strong policing presence in the area.
“This arrest is a direct result of those patrols. I am really pleased to see that a potentially lethal knife has been taken off the streets.
“We will continue to work closely with the residents of Rotherhithe to take tough action against those who carry weapons or cause a blight to their local community.”
The 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. He has since been released under investigation.