Armed police surrounded a North East hospital after reports circulated of a teenager carrying a knife in the building.

The specialist officers from Northumbria Police were scrambled to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead at around 4.45pm on Wednesday (August 3) following reports that a man might have been in possession of a bladed article at the hospital.

After arriving on the scene, officers from the police force located the man, with Northumbria Police confirming that a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.

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The man, who is 19 years old, currently remains in police custody.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Shortly after 4.35pm yesterday (Wednesday) we received a report that a man may have been in possession of a bladed article at the QE Hospital in Gateshead.

"Officers were immediately deployed to the scene and identified an individual who matched the description given of the suspect.

"A 19-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and a knife was subsequently recovered. He remains in police custody at this time."

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