A MAN was injured in a stabbing that took place in Reading town centre last night.
The incident took place on Queens Walk, around 8.45pm on Friday, September 16.
This is the area between Broad St Mall and Pentahotel, and is used as a walkway through to The Hexagon. There are a number of restaurants and bars in the vicinity.
Thames Valley Police said the victim had superficial injuries and was taken to hospital, where he remains at this time.
As a result, the force has put in place a Section 60 order, lasting until 1.30am on Sunday, September 18.
This gives officers greater powers to enact stop and search measures in the town centre area.
The order applies to the areas shown in the map pictured, which includes Vastern Road in the north, Queen’s Road in the south, Forbury Road in the east and Caversham Road in the west.
Inspector John Yallop, based at Newbury police station, said: “We have put this order in place while we carry out our investigation into this incident.
“The order will give our officers extra powers to carry out stop and search activity, and has been enacted for the safety of the public.
“I understand that an order of this nature could cause concern, but while it may sound alarming, enhancing our stop and search powers provides us with another tactic to quickly identify and disrupt those carrying weapons.
He said that being stopped by an officer does not mean the person being detained is in trouble.
“You will see more police officers in the area while the order is in place and we expect to carry out more stop and searches than usual,” he added.
“Officers who are out and about are there to reassure you as well as using their powers under Section 60 so please do stop and speak with them about any concerns that you have.
“I would ask anyone with any information to get in touch with us by calling 101 or via our website, quoting reference number 43220418162.
“We would be particularly interested in receiving any dash-cam or CCTV footage which could help our investigation.
“You can also make a report anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
For more information on stop and search, visit here.
