Newcastle Defender Amar Dedic Briefly Stopped by Armed Police

Newcastle defender Amar Dedic was briefly stopped by armed police in Northumberland after being seen carrying a bow and arrows at a local beauty spot – an incident that sparked a sizeable response but ended with officers satisfied there was no threat to the public.

The 24-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international was out with a friend on Wednesday when a member of the public raised the alarm, having spotted two men walking along a track by a reservoir on Military Road in the Harlow Hill area with the equipment.

Six police cars, including armed units, were dispatched, underlining how seriously the report was treated. Officers later intercepted a vehicle in the Darras Hall area, around seven miles from where the pair were first seen.

The car was searched, the bow and arrows were seized, and both men were questioned at the roadside.

The response looked dramatic. The outcome was not.

Northumbria Police said in a statement that enquiries are ongoing but stressed that, at this stage, the items are understood to have been for recreational use and that there was no threat to the public. The force did not name Dedic in its communication.

BBC Sport has been told Dedic had no ill intention and fully co-operated with officers throughout the incident.

As police spoke to the defender, Newcastle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, 34, and former Magpies defender Paul Dummett, 35, arrived at the scene. It is understood they were in the area by chance and stopped to offer assistance rather than having any prior involvement.

The episode came just two days after Dedic featured in Newcastle’s 1-0 home defeat by Everton, a result that left Eddie Howe’s side 13th in the Premier League table with 11 points from nine games. Dedic joined Newcastle from Benfica in August for a fee in the region of £30m and has been bedding into a squad still searching for rhythm this season.

Newcastle United have declined to comment on the incident, leaving the police statement to stand as the only official line.

For Dedic, the focus now returns to the pitch. Newcastle travel to Fulham on Saturday at 15:00 GMT, their final assignment before the November international break and a chance to shift attention firmly back to football.