Machete is seized as police swoop on coach passengers

Four people were arrested, one of them armed with a machete, after police used airport-style security measures to screen passengers on long-haul coaches arriving in north London.

Police used dogs, metal detectors and X-ray machines in a random check on international travellers arriving at Golders Green bus station from eastern European countries such as Romania.

Five coaches were stopped at the station in a 12-hour period and more than 30 passengers were questioned.

Two men were arrested for immigration offences, one who was wanted for non-payment of fines and a fourth for possession of an offensive weapon. Three knives and two small quantities of cannabis were also seized.

The arrests are part of a wider initiative targeting crime gangs who use coaches to smuggle weapons, drugs and people into Britain.