Youths, younger than 13, are said to be carrying and distributing knives in Newhall which has now been labelled as the area's problem hotspot for police.

This follows a growing number of incidents in Newhall Park which would have been, at best, troublesome during normal times but even more worrying during the Covid-19 pandemic and its necessary restrictions.

This has included throwing glass bottles at police, kicking objects at them, smashing glass, attempting to set off fireworks, littering, swearing at passers-by and gathering in large groups on a frequent basis – in breach of Covid guidance and the law.

Police have ruled out seeking to close the park and others in South Derbyshire to avoid penalising residents who are not breaking the law or causing a nuisance.

Derbyshire Police have been cracking down on the park, but are now asking for the community's help in tackling "the potentially deadly practice of carrying a knife".

They are now asking residents to speak to young people about the dangers of carrying knives and to contact police if they are concerned about youths carrying knives.

Officers have also been doing sweeps of the areas parks, searching for knives.

In a South Derbyshire District Council meeting this week, PCSO Jordan Edwards said that a teenager is believed to have threatened another teenager with a knife.

The same teenager, who police have now revealed is below the age of 13, has also previously threatened his own mother with a knife and is said to have been distributing knives to other teenagers in Newhall Park.

He has not been arrested but has been dealt with through restorative justice – an agreement between the culprit and victim – and the police are seeking to work with the young teen further.

The district council has been trialling the switching off of floodlights in the area's parks, including at Newhall Park, in a bid to deter crime and anti-social behaviour, which police say is helping.

In this week's Newhall and Midway area forum, PCSO Edwards said: "In Newhall Park we have been getting a lot of issues, particularly under the lights at night at about 8pm to 10pm we have been getting groups of youths hanging around, sometimes five or 10 and sometimes groups of 20.

"Any time we go to get involved they just run off in different directions, so it is quite hard to deal with and if we do, we get their names and addresses and going to their parents and speaking to them.

"We have had a big incident recently involving four teenagers. One lad had threatened to stab another lad with a knife. The lad in question doesn't actually live in Newhall, he lives in Swadlincote but hangs around Newhall Park a lot.

"We have got intelligence that they are all (the group of four) carrying knives. We have visited parents and spoken to them and warned them and given them leaflets, gone down all the routes we can.

"The problem is is that two of the lads have got ambitions to be drug dealers, that's their life goal, so it is quite hard to get around.

"The parents can't do anything. One of the lads has held their mum at knifepoint before and she feels she has no control over them anymore.

"Newhall at the moment is a hotspot, and so is Eureka Park, but the group of lads who hang around both of those parks are predominantly at Newhall Park.

"The main lad who is carrying the knives is thought to be giving them to other lads as well, that's at Newhall Park in the past few weeks.

"Newhall Park is the main area where we are having problems. We are trying to increase our patrols a lot more in that area, especially the night team.

"Personally, I think (the turning off of lights in the parks) is deterring it (anti-social behaviour), compared to previously. When I first started in March, especially Newhall Park, when the lights are off it has deterred a lot of incidents.

"We have had groups of 40 or 50 lads gathering when the lights were on at Maurice Lea Memorial Park, I had a glass bottle thrown at me one night. A few of the lads tried to kick things at me and nothing like that has happened when the lights have been off."

Inspector Chris Thornhill, who leads the policing team in South Derbyshire, said: "Newhall Park has seen a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour and alleged criminal acts in recent months.

"Information received by officers suggests that a number of people are carrying weapons – along with information to suggest that someone had been threatened with a knife. However, a specific crime report in relation to the threat with a knife on the park has not been made to officers and there are ongoing pro-active plans in place to tackle the group and their behaviour.

"The child, who is under the age of 13, and had threatened their parent with a knife was dealt with by way of restorative justice in August. This was deemed the most appropriate and proportionate response at the time of the incident – and there is ongoing work with partners to address the boy's behaviour.

"I would like to take this time to make it clear to all residents and visitors to south Derbyshire that knife crime is a very unusual offence to take place in our area – which makes the information that we have received all the more shocking for people to hear.

"As part of a recent knife crime operation across the county, sweeps of parks were carried out in Swadlincote and the surrounding areas, which did not locate any weapons.

"While this is a pleasing result, my officers are not complacent and there are pro-active plans in place to address the issues that were raised at this meeting.

"Finally, I would like to ask our communities for their help in tackling the potentially-deadly practice of carrying a knife. We know that those who carry knives are far more likely to be victims of knife crime themselves and we have seen the devastating effects that this can have on the young people, their families and the wider community.

"So, my plea is this: speak to young people you know about the dangers of carrying knives and if you are concerned that a young person, or indeed anyone you know, is carrying a knife then contact the police.

"I know this will be a difficult call to make but you can do it in confidence and you may just save a life."