Police officers have urged the public to be patient while they do their job following “an enthusiastic symphony of horn-honking from passing motorists” while they arrested a man who had a machete.

It follows an incident on January 19 which led to a vehicle being stopped on Gosport Road, Fareham, at around 4.15pm with a police car partially blocked the road as a result.

Passing motorists vented their frustration by beeping their horns, with officers asking the public to understand why sometimes they are inconvenienced.

A statement from Hampshire Police said: “While we fully respect everyone’s commitment to expressing their feelings through car horns, our officers were a little busy dealing with the situation at hand.

“And it turned out to be a worthwhile interruption: the occupants were searched, and one male was found to be carrying a large machete, along with a quantity of cannabis. He was promptly arrested and is now heading to court for possession of a knife and possession of Class B drugs.

“We appreciate that having a road blocked, even briefly, can be irritating. But please remember: if the police are stopping traffic, there’s usually a very good reason—and occasionally that reason is taking a machete off the streets.”

Police added that “there are absolutely no excuses to be carrying a weapon” and said there are surrender bins at local police stations. You can also report someone carrying a weapon anonymously to Crimestoppers or Fearless.