Police seize 435 knives from Bexhill property

The 435 items were seized during a warrant carried out by the East Sussex Tactical Enforcement Unit on Tuesday (September 29).

Police said the items included a variety of push daggers, knives disguised as pens and house keys, flick knives and other prohibited weapons.

The suspect is understood to have been importing the weapons and then selling them online, police said.

Officers launched an investigation after receiving information from the UK Border Force who had intercepted a package containing flick knives.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said the suspect – a 68-year-old man – was deemed not suitable for arrest due to a serious health condition and attended a voluntary interview with detectives. He has been released while enquiries are ongoing.

Inspector Howard Nevill said: “These harmful items have no place on our streets and we are committed to keeping East Sussex a safe place to live by preventing dangerous items entering our communities.

“Let me be absolutely clear that carrying knives is extremely dangerous and puts you and those around you at an increased risk of harm.

“We’d like to remind members of the public that we have knife amnesty bins at police stations across the region where knives can be safely disposed of - no questions asked.

“If you have any information about knife crime we would urge you to report online or call 101.”