Jail for man who fell asleep at Peterborough Cathedral while carrying large kitchen knife

A man who was found asleep in the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral with a knife in a bag next to him has been jailed.

Imran Ali, 38, had earlier approached a man in Peterborough city centre and pulled out the large kitchen knife before walking off.

The victim reported the incident in July 2022 to police, who identified Ali from CCTV and later found him asleep in the cathedral grounds with his head resting on a blue holdall.

Bolt cutters and pliers were also found inside the bag.

Ali, of Wellingborough, was found guilty of possession of a knife and going equipped for theft.

He was jailed for six months.

Detective Sergeant Rich Ellison, said: “Any crimes involving possession of knives are treated extremely seriously and I welcome this prison sentence.

“Tackling knife crime is a force priority and we will do everything in our power to get weapons off the streets of Cambridgeshire.”