Warning to weapon owners after Mansfield knuckleduster discovery leads to charge

A suspect has been charged after a knuckleduster was retrieved from a house by police.

Officers made the discovery while responding to an unrelated incident in Howard Road, Mansfield.

After going inside a property on the road, police noticed the weapon while they were speaking to a suspect.

The suspect was duly arrested, while the knuckleduster was seized, around 10.30am on Tuesday (3 September).

Richard Radford, 37, was later charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a private place.

Radford, of Howard Road, Mansfield, is due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on 24 September.

Knuckledusters are among a selection of weapons that are illegal for anyone to keep in private in the UK, under the Offensive Weapons Act.

Nottinghamshire Police has amnesty bins set up at five stations across the county, where weapons can be dropped off anonymously, without fear of reprisal.  

Anyone who owns a knuckleduster or a similarly banned weapon is being urged to make use of these bins and avoid getting themselves into trouble.

PC Jordan Brimelow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Like zombie knives, samurai swords and friction lock batons, it is against the law for anyone to keep a knuckleduster in their home or another private setting.  

 “Owners of these types of offensive weapons need to know that they risk getting themselves into a lot of trouble, so should ask themselves if it’s worth them keeping these items.

“We’d argue that it very much isn’t, so would urge anyone who has any of these illegal weapons to hand them over to the police.

“The force actually has five amnesty bins set up across the county where this can be done anonymously, so it really has never been easier to do this and avoid breaking the law.”

For more information about the force’s amnesty bin locations and the different weapons that are illegal to keep in a private setting, visit: Sceptre | Nottinghamshire Police

‘Zombie-style’ knives and machetes will also be added to the Offensive Weapons Act’s list of prohibited weapons from 24 September.

Ahead of this, a national surrender and compensation scheme is currently underway, where owners of these weapons can hand them in and be financially compensated.

Nottinghamshire Police is supporting the four-week initiative, which runs until the day of the law change. For more information visit: Zombie-style knives and machetes surrender and compensation scheme | Nottinghamshire Police