Police to stop and search after person stabbed

A man is in hospital after being stabbed in Luton

Police have authorised additional stop and search powers after a person was stabbed.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed a man had been wounded in Hazelbury Crescent, Luton, on Sunday evening, and was in a stable condition in hospital.

Officers arrested two men in connection with the incident and have recovered knives from in and around the area.

A Section 60 order has been imposed in Luton and will remain in place until 07:00 BST on Tuesday, police said.

A section 60 order, which allows police to stop and search people without reasonable grounds, has been put in place

The force said there had been a heightened police presence over "a very busy" Bank Holiday weekend which saw a number of events taking place.

The Section 60 Order applies to the town centre, High Town, Bury Park, Farley Hill and New Town areas.

Supt Ian Taylor said: “We appreciate the incident and authorisation of a Section 60 may evoke some concern amongst residents, and we would like to reassure the community that the aim is to help us keep the public safe.

"We will use it appropriately to search anyone in the area, utilising these powers to deter any further offences.

“There are currently several scene guards [who protect forensic evidence at crime scenes] in the area."

Police have appealed for any witnesses to the stabbing to contact them on 101.