FIVE knives with blades so long they are illegal were confiscated from people trying to get into Bradford’s courts, new figures show.

Earlier this month the Telegraph & Argus revealed that people tried to smuggle more than 170 knives into courts in Bradford in one year.

The weapons were among the hundreds of items confiscated by security guards at the entrances to Bradford Combined Court and Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court.

Other objects seized in 2013/14 included tools, alcohol, cameras and recorders.

Now Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has said five of the knives seized had blades that were longer than 3ins long, making them illegal to carry in public.

A spokesman said if the item seized was illegal – such as a knife with a blade longer than three inches – then the police would be called.

He said: “HMCTS takes the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and has a robust security and safety system to protect users and the Judiciary.”