A knife arch was installed at the McDonald's in Woolwich as police try to combat knife crime in the borough.

Woolwich Riverside officers conducted stop and searches while working in partnership with the fast food giant, whose oldest UK establishment is in Woolwich.

Opened in November 1974, the McDonald's in Powis Street was not actually the one where the knife arch was installed, although management there confirmed they were working with police to have one put up in the next few weeks.

Instead police installed the knife arch to catch out those carrying the dangerous weapons at the other McDonald's in Church Street on January 15 on the other side of town.

The arch was only a temporary measure although officers from Greenwich police said simply having the arch there meant they caught people who would perform a u-turn once they saw it in place.

Woolwich Riverside Officers have been working in partnership with #McDonalds today in an anti-knife campaign. A knife arch was implemented as a condition of entry to dissuade the carrying of knives. Stop and searches conducted by the team. #StopKnifeCrime pic.twitter.com/uM3nweE8bm — Woolwich Riverside (@MPSWoolwichRiv) January 15, 2018

Andy Stuart, chief inspector for neighbourhoods in Greenwich, said: “McDonald's are really working closely with us to reduce issues. They turn off wi-fi when schools finish and have employed security.

“The outcome is that estates team officers patrolled nearby and picked out people doing a u-turn. One arrested for possession of a knife nearby.”

In October 2017, 79 people under the age of 25 were injured in knife attacks in Greenwich, compared to 23 in October 23, according to London Assembly figures.