A KNIFE arch is proving a reassuring presence for weekend revellers at a Stoubridge hotspot.

The Stourbridge Lion, on the High Street, installed the arch a few weeks ago after several incidents in the town, most notably the tragic stabbing of Ryan Passey last year.

So far, it seems to have acted as a deterrent, with security staff only forced to confiscate a couple of Swiss army knives.

And Jonathan Smith, area manager at the Lion’s owners Amber Taverns, believes the safety of customers is worth the financial outlay.

Mr Smith said: “We put it up on Friday and Saturday nights – we have a security presence anyway but we wanted to protect the people that come in to the pub even more.

“We have picked up a couple of things that have had to be destroyed but we have also see a few people turn back in queues and walk off.

“The items have been Swiss army knives, foldaway knives, but the fact remains they are not allowed in the pub and people shouldn’t be walking around with them.”

While the arch has only been employed on weekend nights so far, Mr Smith said that would likely change during the upcoming football World Cup.

He added: “We are not going to put everybody through it but we will be using it when there is a large congregation of people.

“But when there are events on where we will need security – like World Cup matches – then we will use it then too.

“This equipment has cost us a few thousand pounds, plus the extra security we need on to run it, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind of our customers.”