Name/Title
Club made from a chair leg c1970Entry/Object ID
2283Description
Wooden chair leg 14 inches (36 cm) with visble joints where stretchers were attached, crudely shaped into a club. Obviously homemade.Use
For use as an offensive weaponContext
In the 1950s there was a large rise in violent crime in the UK. In particular, in 1951 there were 800 cases of armed robbery, assault with intent to rob or robbery with violence. At that time it was not an offence to carry a weapon in a public place only to carry a weapon during the commission of a crime. This meant that a police officer may well find a well known criminal in possession of a weapon, perhaps with the intention of committing a robbery but be powerless to act. As a result the 1953 Prevention of Crime Act was passed, making it an offence for a member of the public to carry a weapon in a public place.
This club is clearly made from either chair or a stool leg. It is crudely carved and is very difficult to date. It does not appear to have any great age and probably dates from the 1970s or 1980s.
This item is one of a number that came to the museum from Sussex Police as confiscated weapons. It was common for the police to retain collections of such items for training purposes and for lessons in schools.