A MAN threatened police officers with a knife in the centre of Brighton this morning.

Police were on patrol around 8.40am when they saw a man acting suspiciously in Queens Road.

When officers approached the suspect he pulled out a knife and threatened them with it.

They were able to disarm the suspect and seize the weapon and no one was hurt.

Garry Foulkes, of Experience Days in Church Street, saw the incident unfold.

He said: "There was a man pursued by two plain-clothes police officers.

"They tackled him and the three of them slammed into our window.

"There was a green bag thrown on the floor by the bins, and a big kitchen knife on the ground next to it.

"I think the man must have been carrying it."

Mr Foulkes estimated the knife to be between six and ten inches in length.

He described the two officers pinning the man to the ground before calling for backup, and said members of the public also stopped to offer assistance.

He said: "The officers checked his pockets and a passing cyclist picked up the knife, I guess to get it out of the way.

"Several cars arrived shortly afterwards and uniformed officers came to help control the situation."

Stephen Ferroni, who works in Sweatshop on the corner of Church Street, said the commotion started as a security guard was taking his shop's earnings to the bank.

He said: "I didn't see the original incident but I heard a lot of noise, someone was shouting about a knife.

"All of a sudden there were loads of police, maybe six or seven cars as well as a van.

"It was obviously something serious because of the number of officers who turned up."

A picture shows onlookers at the scene, and a group on the floor, with a police car in attendance.

Detective Sergeant Helen Paine said: “The officers in this situation were lucky not to be injured and were able safely arrest him before he harmed anyone.

“We understand there were lots of members of the public who witnessed this incident and could have captured pictures or videos.

“We are urging anyone with footage to report it to us immediately to aid our investigation.”

To report information please go online or call 101 quoting reference 297 of 06/09.