A man who told police he wanted to stab members of the public has been jailed.

Declan Hyland, 26, made a 999 call to police in the early hours of Friday morning (April 5) stating he had a knife and wanted to harm himself and others.

Response officers were deployed immediately and located Hyland outside Mattress Man in Lincoln Road, Millfield.

Hyland threw a bag towards officers, which was found to contain a red kitchen knife, resulting in his arrest.

While being placed in the police van, Hyland, who had recently been released from prison for burglary, told officers he was struggling since being released and regularly had thoughts about harming himself and wanting to stab members of the public.

Hyland, of Eastfield Road, Eastfield, appeared at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (April 6) where he was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting being in possession of a knife in a public place.

Inspector Ricky Passam said: “This was a very concerning call to receive, however we were able to respond quickly and detain Hyland before he could bring any harm to himself or anyone else.

“This is the second time he has been convicted of being in possession of a knife in public, giving the courts no option but to send him back to prison. I hope he will be able to get the support he clearly needs.”

Anyone with concerns or information about someone who carries a weapon can report via the force’s dedicated weapons information webpage.