POLICE took two deadly weapons off the streets after a suspected knifeman held a blade to another man’s chest during a late-night incident in Southend.

A 35-year-old Westcliff man was spotted allegedly threatening another man at about 2am on Saturday.

He tried to get away from police after they intervened but was arrested in Chancellor Road, Southend.

One kitchen knife with a black handle and a red work knife were found dumped near the scene.

Inspector Lee Devall, of Essex Police’s central operations team, tweeted a photo of the potentially lethal blades.

He said: “The team intervened and stopped a man threatening another with one of these at his chest in Southend last night.”

A resident of nearby Herbert Grove, who asked not to be named, said the area is plagued by yobs who frequent the graveyard of St John the Baptist Church.

He said: “They sit there cursing and making absolute fools of themselves.

“A couple of nights ago there were two yobs who decided they were going to do a round smashing in car wing mirrors.

“A windscreen also got smashed.

“I reported it to the community police officers so I don’t know if that’s why they were there.”

Martin Neilson, 61, of Chancellor Road, said he was not surprised that the blades were found in his street.

He said: “I hear all sorts of stuff going on. About 20 years ago someone threw a brick through my window and that’s the only thing that’s actually affected me.

“But if it doesn’t affect me I don’t really notice. Southend is a town where people come to enjoy pubs and clubs and nothing is going to change it.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “A man is in police custody having been arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.

“The arrest took place in Chancellor Road shortly before 2am on June 4 after a man was seen to make off from officers.

“Two knives were recovered from the area.

“The arrested man, who is aged 35 and from Westcliff, remains in custody being questioned by detectives.”