Sunderland Echo

Gun amnesty yields 280 danger weapons

- By David Allison david.allison@jpress.co.uk Twitter: @davidallis­on88

Almost 300 dangerous weapons have been handed in to Northumbri­a Police as part of a gun amnesty.

A total of 280 firearms – including more than 100 air weapons and a number of historical pieces – have been given to the force.

The two-week operation, which ended on Sunday, gave members of the public the opportunit­y to safely dispose of guns and ammunition.

Firearms received include a shotgun disguised as a walking stick, various pieces from the First and Second World Wars, an 1890 revolver and a small number of guns which had not been correctly deactivate­d.

The surrender, named Operation Aztec, gave people the opportunit­y to hand in weapons and ammunition without facing prosecutio­n for illegal possession. If it is suspected that prior to its surrender a firearm had been used in criminal offences, officers say investigat­ions will be carried out.

The surrender also encouraged handing in of replica firearms, air weapons, BB guns and imitation firearms.

Officers say the types of weapons can be very realistic in appearance, can be used in crime and are restricted depending on the circumstan­ces.

The force saw the following items handed in: Pistols: six; Revolvers: eight; Rifles: 22; Shotguns: 92; Imitation / Blank firer: 40; Air weapons: 102; Other (including ornamental, taser & flare gun): 10

Chief Inspector Dave Gould, Northumbri­a Police’s lead for the surrender, said: “I would like to take this opportunit­y to thank the public for their support in making this a successful operation.

“We are fortunate that within the Northumbri­a Police area we have a low number of firearm-related crimes.

“A number of the guns surrendere­d are believed to be veteran war pieces, some overlooked or forgotten about and some inherited by families who have been unsure of what to do with them. These families have welcomed the opportunit­y to safely dispose of them out of harm’s way.

“We will continue to use intelligen­ce and a proactive approach to target criminal use of firearms. Removing guns as well as ammunition from our communitie­s reduces the risk of them getting into the wrong hands and the possibilit­y of them being used in crime.”

Police have said that while the majority of items received will be destroyed, pieces of special interest or historical value may be retained in museums.

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 ??  ?? A selection of the firarems handed in.
A selection of the firarems handed in.
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