Police search estate in bid to tackle anti-social behaviour

AN imitation handgun and live ammunition were found on a Hackney estate after police conducted a fingertip search in a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The handgun, thought to be a child’s toy, was stashed behind panelling in a service area while the rusted shotgun cartridge was discovered in the chute of the communal bins area on the Colville Estate.

Officers from the De Beauvoir Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) were joined by colleagues from the Safer Neighbourhoods problem solving bus and the police search team on the search on Friday February 18 morning.

Sgt Dan Card, De Beauvoir SNT, said: “Although the firearm appears to be a child’s toy it is very life-like and could be mistaken as the real thing. Where the shotgun cartdrige was, was not an immediate danger to the public but if a child or anyone stumbled across it, it could cause a very serious injury or even death so we are delighted to get it off the streets.”

Large bolt-cutters, often used for breaking and entering, were also discovered along with a large number of plastic bags on the roof.

The bags were of the sort normally used by drug dealers to store their ‘goods’ in during a sale.

Officers were unable to link any of the items to any crimes at the scene but put them in evidence bags ready for investigation.

Sgt Dan Card, said: “It’s an estate sweep, something we do on a regular basis, sweep the estates at random.

“We just go through, searching the open grounds, the public areas and what we are looking for is stashes of weapons, drugs or contraband of any description. The purpose of that is to disrupt the criminal and bring peace to residents.”

Officers searched communal bins, drains and even chimney pots on the roofs of the buildings on the estate to find criminal goods.