A knife was recovered by firefighters from a river near Ipswich train station as part of a police investigation this evening.

Ipswich Star: Firefighters recover an item from the River Orwell between Ranelagh Road and West End Road as part of a police investigation. Picture: MATT STOTTFirefighters recover an item from the River Orwell between Ranelagh Road and West End Road as part of a police investigation. Picture: MATT STOTT (Image: Archant)

A member of the public spotted a knife in the river near the Ancaster Road bridge at around 7pm and called police, Suffolk Constabulary said.

Police then called the fire service to retrieve the knife from the river, near the train station and in the Ranelagh Road and West End Road area.

Ipswich Star: Firefighters in West End Road, Ipswich after recovering an item from the River Orwell as part of a police investigation. Picture: MATT STOTTFirefighters in West End Road, Ipswich after recovering an item from the River Orwell as part of a police investigation. Picture: MATT STOTT (Image: Archant)

Firefighters went out in a boat to retrieve the knife, which was passed to police at the scene.

Police have not yet confirmed if the knife is linked to any specific crime or investigation, but the knife will be forensically checked to establish whether it has been used in any incident.

A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman said: “A knife was seen in the river by a member of the public. The fire service was called and the knife, near the Ancaster Road bridge, was retrieved by firefighters in a boat.”

Speaking at the scene in West End Road earlier, Simon Hurst, incident commander at the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We were requested by police to recover an item from the river as part of an ongoing police investigation.

“The item was recovered and handed over to police, who were here.”