MORE than 2,000 items including knives, weapons and drugs were confiscated at Southampton's courts last year. 

An FOI request submitted by the Daily Echo to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed that 2,398 items were confiscated at Southampton Combined Court Centre in 2022. 

This was a rise from the previous year which saw 1,153 items taken from people by security staff and more than four times that of 2020 which saw 570 items confiscated. 

However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the footfall at the court was significantly reduced between April 2020 – September 2021. 

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Items taken from people coming to the courts since 2021 include knives, tools and cutlery, sharps as well as other weapons. 

Other prohibited objects were alcohol and other liquids, drugs, glass bottles, protest materials, large umbrellas, motorcycle helmets and combs with pointed handles. 

The above items were all confiscated more than five times during this period. 

Five or fewer of the incidents resulted in police involvement for each of the years; 2020, 2021 and 2022.

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Responding to the request for information, the MoJ said: "His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service takes the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and has a robust security and safety system to protect all court users, staff and the Judiciary.

"This system includes mandatory bag searches, metal detectors, surveillance cameras and the presence of court security officers who have legislative powers to protect all those in the court building.

"The powers of the court security officers include the ability to confiscate prohibited items should there be a need.

"Our security system is continually monitored to ensure that it is effective, proportionate and mitigates against the risks faced."

The figures were recorded across both Southampton Magistrates Court and Southampton Crown Court. 

If security staff identify a prohibited item they will be asked to surrender these items when they enter the building.

Items are then taken from people if they refuse to surrender them after being asked to do so. 

The MoJ says it does this in order to "protest court users, judiciary and staff".