Police have found six knives, a hammer and £1,000 worth of suspected heroin and crack cocaine after searching bushes of a Southampton suburb.

Officers scoured the St Mary's area of the city in search of discarded knives and drugs, also finding a phone suspected to have been used in dealing.

Hampshire's Violent Crime Taskforce were joined by officers from Neighbourhood Enforcement Team and local Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

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Police also spoke to residents in the area throughout the day.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: "Knife sweeps like this one involve officers visiting a specific area - very often parks and recreation grounds with hidden spaces – and doing a thorough search for knives or any sharp object which could potentially pose a risk.

"If we find a knife, a suspected weapon or suspected drugs, we contain it and take it away to be stored safely. If we have reason to believe something we’ve found has been used in a crime, we will conduct further enquiries and investigate."