A 10-inch kitchen knife has been found just metres from where children were playing as police carried out a weapon sweep.

The knife was found in Duckettes Common, Turnpike Lane, and a second knife was found by Wood Green Crown Court, as the police set to crackdown on knife crime.

Deputy Mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh joined the sweep after being reported that gangs were storing weapons in a hollow tree in the common.

The Met’s gang’s unit trident is hoping the introduction of new legislation which means people caught carrying a knife for a second time will face a mandatory jail sentence.

So far the Met has carried out 500 weapon sweeps and found 250 weapons. 80 arrests have been made and in Haringey, since April, the gangs unit has arrested 73 people in the Tottenham High Road area for numerous offences including burglary, possessing offensive weapons, drugs, robbery and assault.

Speaking to the Haringey Independent at the weapon sweep, Mr Greenhalgh said: “We need everyone to come together to find solutions to the problems of knife crime in Haringey.

“We hope this new legislation will act as a deterrent and the police are stepping up their work across the capital to get more weapons off our streets, this will not be tolerated in our capital city.”

Expressing concern about the area, a woman, who did not want to be named, said: “I have lived in the area for more than 25 years and there is a lot of gang trouble around here, people from one postcode cannot walk into this area otherwise there is trouble, more needs to be done because I do not feel safe.”

Responding to concerns, Mr Greenhalgh said: “Police in the area have found weapons in this common just a stone’s throw from where children are playing, I have walked from Turnpike lane to find a number of ‘Bob Marley bags’ where people stash cannabis.

“We need to work out what is driving the problem here in Ducketts Common and come up with a shared idea of how to solve it, including the community who must be in outrage that their common has been taken over by criminality.

“Public safety is absolutely essential in our daily lives, until residents feel safe we have a job to do.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon, the Head of Trident Gang Crime Command said: “Tackling knife crime is a key priority for the Met. Every week, officers from across London carry out enforcement activity, and educational programmes aimed at prevention are regularly delivered to young people.”