Extra powers for police following Southampton attempted murder
Three men remain in custody following the attack
Police have been given temporary extra stop and search powers following the attempted murder of a man in Southampton.
The attack happened in Coleman Street in St Mary's at around 1.10pm on Friday (November 18th).
Three men, aged between 18 and 21 and all from the city, remain in custody after being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Hampshire Police officers implemented a Section 60 order in response to the incident.
The emergency allows officers to stop and search anyone in a designated location, without the restrictions of normal stop and search.
The initial order took place through Saturday (November 19th) and expired at 7pm, but officers say it can be extended at any time to respond to further disorder.
Southampton-based Police Sergeant Geoff Cole, said:
"This level of violence and use of weapons in Southampton will not be tolerated.
“We are able to implement a Section 60 order at any time and we will use further powers if we need to in order to prevent this kind of disorder from happening.
“These are not measures that we put in place lightly, but we have done so on this occasion to minimise the risk to the local residents of Southampton and ensure that there are no further incidents of this nature in our communities.
“You will likely continue to see an increased police presence across multiple areas of Southampton why our officers continue their enquiries and establish the circumstances that led to serious assault in broad daylight.
“If you have information about this incident or if you have any concerns, then I would implore you to please speak to any of our officers that you might see in the community.
“I would just like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public for their ongoing support during a time where there has been undoubtedly a lot of concern. We want to reassure you that we are increasing our patrols, and working hard with partners and wider support services to identify those who are repeatedly intent on causing harm.”