PSNI urge public ‘not to speculate online’ after false reports of man armed with knife at Fleadh

The PSNI confirmed that a man arrested in Belfast city centre yesterday was not in possession of a knife, or any other object.

THE PSNI HAS confirmed that a man who was arrested during the Fleadh in Belfast was not carrying a knife.

A number of inaccurate posts on social media had wrongly claimed that the man was in possession of a knife.

In a statement last night, the PSNI said it is aware of “inaccurate information circulating on social media” in relation to an arrest that was made in the Cornmarket area of Belfast city centre.

A 24-year-old man had been arrested by police on Tuesday on suspicion of disorderly behaviour following an earlier altercation in the same area.

“We can also confirm the man was not in possession of a knife, or any other object, as suggested within these unverified claims online,” said a PSNI spokesperson.

The man remains in custody at this time, as PSNI enquiries continue into the circumstances of the earlier altercation.

Meanwhile, the PSNI has urged the public “not to speculate online, which can cause unwanted and unnecessary concern within our communities”.