The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Surrender your weapons during airgun campaign
Councillors issue call to arms to get unlicensed guns off streets
A pair of Fife councillors took advantage of the police airgun surrender campaign yesterday by handing two unwanted weapons in to officers in Levenmouth.
Bob Young, chairman of the Fife regulation and licensing committee, and vice-chairman Tom Adams used their visit to Methil Police Station to remind others that it will soon become illegal to possess an air weapon without a licence.
The law will change on December 31 and people have six months to either obtain a licence or surrender their weapons to the police.
Exactly 6,000 weapons were handed in to Scottish police stations in the first two weeks of a three-week campaign.
No exact figures are available for Tayside yet.
In Fife, 225 were given up in the first week alone.
Councillor Adams urged anybody with old or unwanted weapons to hand them over now.
“I would ask people to check their attics, their garages, their garden sheds and anywhere they think there might be an air weapon,” he said.
“We don’t want them all turning into criminals if they get caught with one they have forgotten about.”
He added: “There’s already been quite a big response and we’re very pleased about that.”
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said Police Scotland fully supported the new legislation and the more robust licensing arrangements about to be introduced.
“I would urge members of the public who own air weapons but don’t intend licensing them to take advantage of our surrender campaign.
“Take a moment or two to look out old or unwanted weapons and follow the advice on our website regarding how to safely transport them and where to take them.
“Getting rid of these unwanted air weapons will make our streets safer.”
To find out where you nearest designated station is, look at the website www.scotland.police.uk/airweaponsurrender.
“We don’t want them all turning into criminals ...
COUNCILLOR TOM ADAMS