From the Bristol Evening Post
Passengers faced searches and scanning with metal detectors at Bristol's main railway station as police cracked down on people who take knives onto trains. Mobile detectors, similar to those seen in airports, were set up at Bristol Temple Meads station for rail users to walk through.
British Transport Police (BTP) officers were on hand to arrest anyone they found carrying knives or other weapons.
It was part of Operation Shield, BTP's national campaign to stamp out knife crime on the railways.
A total of 176 people walked through the scanner during a three-hour period from 11am to 2pm yesterday, the first time such an operation has been carried out.
Although no knives were detected among the passengers who walked through, two people were arrested for possessing cannabis.
A 21-year-old man was given a caution while a youth aged 16 was reprimanded, both for possession of small quantities of the drug.
The police said they planned more knife-detection operations in the city in the future.
Over the last couple of months a number of successful operations aimed at cutting knife crime on railways have taken place across the country.
Major rail hubs like Birmingham New Street Station and Nottingham's Carrington Street station have hosted operations.
Chief Inspector Kevin Marshall, based at Temple Meads, said: "The aim of the operation is to reverse the knife-carrying culture which has grown up among some groups of young people.
"We knew from previous operations that our presence would be welcomed by the majority of passengers and viewed as a positive step towards making the railways an even safer way to travel."
In a knife amnesty held in May, a total of 2,525 knives were handed in to Avon and Somerset police.
Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a national debate on law and order in Bristol last month. He gave hope to campaigners who want to see tougher laws against people who carry knives. Bristol Liberal Democrat councillor Shirley Marshall has launched a city-wide petition to increase the maximum penalty for carrying a knife from two years to seven years. The Prime Minister said he was sympathetic to a revision of the laws which were currently under review.
Yesterday's anti-knife operation comes six months after police officers staged a crackdown on couriers suspected of using the rail and bus network to bring drugs into Bristol.
Sniffer dogs were used to check passengers getting off trains at Temple Meads and coaches at the city's main bus station.