POLICE have moved to reassure the public that knife crime is being tackled in the Stratton and Grange area.

The Wiltshire force spoke out after shocking video footage showed a man wielding a huge blade during a brawl at The Dockle Farmhouse on Friday night. Police said enquiries are progressing.

One video showed people screaming and shouting while others were thrown over the fence. Another witness in a car captured several men punching and kicking each other.

In other footage, a young man with a bloodied face was seen punching another man.

Police are looking for witnesses after an 18-year-old man suffered a head injury during the incident and was treated at the Great Western Hospital.

Supt Adrian Burt said: “Incidents of this nature are extremely disappointing and no doubt the footage will have caused concern within the community.

“Now pubs are reopening, we understand that many people will be pleased to be able to head out and socialise with friends once again.

“While the majority of people have been doing so in a sensible manner and adhering to social distancing guidelines – there are a small minority of individuals who have caused issues across the county.”

He said: “Since we received this report, a team of officers have been conducting extensive enquiries.

The force said it was tackling knife crime in two ways, by using community engagement and clamping down on drug deals.

Sgt Georgina Romani, from the neighbourhood team in Stratton, said: “There are two strands to our approach to tackling knife crime, which is something we know our communities are concerned about.

“Firstly, our neighbourhood team is working hard on community engagement.

“We are building those relationships within our community so we are receiving regular information and intelligence about criminal activity, including when people are carrying weapons.

“A large part of this is youth engagement and ensuring that teenagers and young people understand the seriousness of carrying a knife and the impact this can have on them in terms or potentially injuring themselves or someone else, or ending up behind bars.

“We are also carrying out proactive work to tackle drug dealing – which very often brings with it associated violence.

“This proactive enforcement work sees us seize knives and weapons, as well as arresting perpetrators.”

“We have a new neighbourhood officer in this area, PC Rory Myers, so if you have any intelligence around knife crime, you can email him on Rory.Myers@wiltshire.pnn.police.uk”