Man with sword in Blackpool sparks online panic

A number of people called 999 as the man waved the weapon around as he walked up Park Road at around 10.30pm yesterday, police said.

A man was arrested in Talbot Road around an hour later – though police said they have yet to find the sword.

One local Facebook group, in a post shared over 200 times, said the swordsman was rumoured to be in Layton, at around the same time the suspect was arrested.

It issued a ‘safety alert’ and said armed police had been seen close to Layton Cemetery and in Mowbray Drive.

“Lock up tight and report anything suspicious to 101,” it added.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said nobody was hurt or threatened with the weapon.