29 guns taken off streets with firearms amnesty
TWENTY-NINE firearms were handed in to Macclesfield police station as part of a gun amnesty.
A total of 127 guns were removed from the streets of Cheshire as part of the county-wide surrender, ‘Give up the Gun’.
The amnesty allowed members of the public to hand in any unwanted or illegally-held weapons without fear of prosecution.
Over the two week period, the weapons given up included rifles, shotguns and antique weapons.
Macclesfield police station was the busiest with 29 guns handed in, ahead of Chester (24), Crewe (15) and Widnes (15), Northwich (11), Warrington (10), Knutsford (10), Ellesmere Port (7), Runcorn (4), Congleton (1) and Winsford (1).
Superintendent Bev Raistrick said: “It’s rewarding to see that so many people had the confidence to come forward and surrender items during this campaign. As a result of the actions taken these people have all helped to ensure that these firearms don’t get into the wrong hands and can never be used for criminal purposes.
“Although gun crime in Cheshire is low, we must never forget that firearms are extremely dangerous and can be deadly if they get into the wrong hands.
“This surrender was just one of a number of measures that we are taking to help to keep it low and reduce it even further.”
All of the weapons which were handed in will now be deactivated and destroyed, ensuring that they never get into the wrong hands.
Superintendent Raistrick added: “Although some people may be alarmed at the number of firearms we have received I would like to reassure the public that the majority of weapons were antiques which had been passed down through generations, whilst others were licenced firearms which were no longer used.
“As a result of this campaign there are now 127 fewer firearms on the streets of Cheshire, which means that there are now fewer opportunities for them to get into the wrong hands and be used for criminal activities.
“I urge anyone who still holds an unwanted or illegally held firearm to contact us on 101 so that we can arrange for it to be collected and destroyed.”
Anyone who is concerned about illegal weapons in their community is urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.