Woman arrested after reports of knife waved in Ipswich

Suffolk Police confirmed that they had been alerted to an incident in the town centre which involved reports of a woman with a knife.

At around 1pm on Monday, echoes of shouting, screaming and swearing bellowed down Westgate Street in Ipswich, just a few minutes before three police vehicles sped through town.

Officers clambered out of the vehicles, embarking on a short chase before they stopped a woman outside Ipswich Furniture Services.

Officers searched after stopping the suspect at the scene (Image: Newsquest)

Tasers were drawn as dozens of onlookers surrounded the incident, including schoolchildren, people on lunch breaks and employees of nearby shops.

An eyewitness described the scene as they were stuck in Greggs while the woman ran, brandishing the knife on Westgate Street.

"She was running up and down the road, waving it around," they added.

"I was too scared to leave Greggs.

"A man phoned the police when he realised no one else was."

Westgate Street, where the chaos unfolded (Image: Newsquest)

Following this, she reportedly continued down Westgate Street while shouting at another woman near the Cancer Research charity shop.

Another person was searched during the stop as officers spoke to witnesses on the high street.

Crowds remained watching everything unfold as the incident drew business owners and employees out of the surrounding shops.

She was put in the back of a police car and taken to the Martlesham Police Investigation Centre (Image: Newsquest)

The police spokesman further confirmed just after 2pm that a 25-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife or bladed article.

She was taken to Martlesham Police Headquarters following her arrest.

A business owner who did not wish to be named said that disturbances are a regular occurrence in the town centre and that it causes people to be scared of going into certain shops if people loiter outside of them.

Marilena, who works at Pretzie, near where the woman was arrested (Image: Newsquest)

Marilena, who works at Pretzie, added: "It is scary when incidents like that happen, but it happens often here.

"I'm a mum, so I do worry about how safe things are.

"I saw police searching and patting down the woman before taking her away in the police car."