A man returning from his allotment in Manchester was arrested by armed police after a member of the public reported seeing him with a knife. Samuel Rowe, 35, was at his home trimming a hedge with a Japanese garden sickle when officers arrived and handcuffed him.
Rowe, a technical manager at a theatre, had gardening tools including a Niwaki Hori Hori trowel and an Ice Bear sickle strapped to his belt. Despite explaining they were garden tools, police seized them and arrested him on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.
During questioning, Rowe said officers asked if he was autistic or had military experience, and whether he planned to use the tools as weapons. He was held for several hours without legal representation and eventually accepted a caution to secure his release.
Greater Manchester Police stated they acted on a public call about a man in khaki with a knife. Officers seized a sickle, a dagger, and a peeling knife. Rowe admitted the offence and received a conditional caution with advice on knife legislation.
Rowe is now seeking to challenge the caution, fearing it will affect his DBS check and work with vulnerable adults. He wants his caution removed, his tools returned, and an apology.
