THREE machetes, an axe and a knuckleduster have been seized and 43 people arrested in a crackdown on gang warfare in West Cumbria.

Police have seized weapons from two gangs, based in Workington, known as Mandem and Moorclose.

Those involved are mostly teenagers from Allerdale but three of the teenage suspects are from Copeland. These three were all due to appear in court this week. They have all been remanded on bail, until further court dates.

Detective Inspector Dan St Quintin is heading up investigation Operation Rodeo at Cumbria Police.

Police were made aware of the situation in April and the following three months as violent crime rose by 43 per cent.

The majority of incidents took place in Workington, although there has been some in Whitehaven.

He said:“The increase in crime we have experienced has now been reversed by a swift and robust police response.

“The criminality our communities have experienced is totally unacceptable and police have nipped this in the bud.

“We have already made a significant amount of arrests and we are working hard to bring anyone involved in violence or disorder to justice – particularly the leading members of these ‘gangs’.”

He reassured people about the weapons seized, saying: “The weapons that we seized haven’t been from people carrying them in the streets; they have been recovered from houses and cars.”

He said the team of police officers will continue the investigation “until we get the job done”.

Since Operation Rodeo was launched, violent crime levels have reduced.

So far, 43 arrests have been made for crimes including assaults, weapons offences, witness intimidation and numerous criminal damage incidents.

DI St Quintin said police are still pursuing a number of leads. He is appealing to people to help with the investigation.

Anyone with information about incidents can contact Cumbria Police on 101.