Walk-through metal detectors – also known as knife arches – could continue to feature as part of plans to reduce violent crime and keep young people safe in Harrow.

A report presented to Harrow Council’s overview and scrutiny committee highlighted how the technology can be used throughout the borough to keep knives off the streets.

It forms part of the council’s anti-knife crime strategy drawn up with the help of police. The action plan was requested by the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime.

An example given was when knife arches were used at Harrow and Wealdstone Station as part of a programme run by the British Transport Police.

The scrutiny committee confirmed knife arches could be used again but at varying locations and at different times to avoid people catching on.

Cllr Krishna Suresh, responsible for crime and community cohesion at Harrow Council, said: “There are several things that the council wants to do to improve safety for everyone.

“We have decreasing resources, so it is important to have a clear focus on this area.

“One thing that we must continue to do is look at reducing knife-related crime and stopping young people being targeted for criminal activity.”

As well as knife arches, police regularly conduct weapons sweeps in Harrow and carry out a test purchase programme for knives.

The council also wants to encourage schools and voluntary organisations to highlight the dangers of knife crime.

The council-led strategies against youth violence run alongside the Mayor of London’s ‘London needs you alive’ campaign.

This seeks to encourage young people to disavow any attachment to knives and focus on a positive future.

Sadiq Khan said: “London is the best city in the world, full of opportunity, and one of the safest. But too many of our young people are being senselessly lost to knife crime. It has to stop.

“We can’t solve the problem by police enforcement alone, we need to get the message across that our young Londoners are too valuable to risk their lives by carrying a knife.”

Mr Khan has urged more schools in the capital to make use of metal-detecting knife wands to catch pupils carrying sharp objects.

Several London boroughs are making use of a scheme to track knife crime offenders with GPS tags, though Harrow is yet to sign up to it.