Knife checks took place at a popular bar to check whether people were carrying weapons.

The move by police at The Cuban in Canterbury last night formed part of a crackdown on knife crime in the district.

Weapon sweeps were also carried out by officers in Whitstable and Herne Bay.

At The Cuban, only those who were prepared to use the scanner were permitted entry and more than 500 people passed through the arch.

Inspector Vicki Tyler from the Community Safety Unit says it is just one more tool they are using in the fight against knife crime.

"We are working with popular venues in the area and plan more deployments of the knife arch in the coming weeks," she said.

"It does not mean they have more of a problem than anywhere else, like us they want the area to be as safe as possible.

"Those who carry a knife are putting both themselves and other people in danger.

"They are also risking a prison sentence as we take a zero tolerance approach to those who carry weapons and will not hesitate in making arrests when we stop people in possession of them.

"We are committed to making the area a safer one and will continue to use every resource available to us and work closely with our partner agencies to tackle knife crime."

Last month, Akon Security director Oli Nonnis admitted he was considering giving his door staff stab-proof vests after three fights involving knives reportedly broke out in the space of six days in Canterbury.

His comments sparked a debate after a city councillor then advised people to avoid places with bouncers on the door.

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