'Years back, people were very scared of the police ... that needs to come back'

COUNCILLORS CALL FOR MORE STOP-AND-SEARCH POWER, BUT CHIEF SUPT SAYS 'IT IS A REALLY CONTENTIOUS ISSUE'

- By NIGEL SLATER Local democracy reporter

MORE stop-and-search is needed to tackle knife crime in Derby, say councillors - but a police boss told them their powers are limited.

Derbyshire police chief superintendent Emma Aldred told councillors what the force was doing to stop knife crime, following a number of high-profile incidents in the city this year.

Earlier this year, there were reports of five knife attacks in Derby in 12 days.

There was the fatal stabbing of Gurvinder Johal inside a Derby city centre bank and the death of 21-year-old Dale Martin, who was fatally stabbed in Stenson Road in June.

Councillor Matthew Eyre said that now “more than ever before” the people of Derby deserved answers about knife crime, saying many feel unsafe in the city.

The Chief Supt said knife amnesties around the city were successful - despite a councillor believing they were part of a “softly softly approach” to tackling knife crime.