Is police gun amnesty a good idea or misfire?

Brilliant idea Slip through the net Will criminals do it? Weapons off the streets Readers decide

Carol Brown Marlene Weir Lauren Brown Eric Hardie

This is the second week of a fortnightlong gun amnesty launched by police in a bid to stop firearms falling into the hands of criminals.

Police hope their firearms surrender campaign will reduce the risk of weapons falling into the wrong hands.

Anyone who has a firearm or ammunition without a valid certificate can take it to one of 43 police stations around the country until Sunday.

People will also be able to hand in replica firearms, air weapons, BB guns, imitation firearms, component parts and other ballistic items during the initiative.

Anyone who surrenders a firearm will not be asked to give their personal details – but police say they reserve the right to investigate the history of the weapon to establish whether it has been used in any crime.

We took to the streets of Wishaw to find our readers’ views of the latest moves to curb gun crime.

The initiative was welcomed by Wishaw man Eric Hardie.

“It takes weapons off the streets. It’s not just criminals. If you move into a house and find a gun in the loft, what do you do with it? You’d panic. That’s the kind of thing that could happen,” he said.

Marlene Weir, of Netherton, isn’t convinced that everyone in possession of a firearm or replica will be willing to surrender it.

“There will be people who’ll fall into the category where they’ll say ‘No, I’m keeping mine’,” she said.

“But if they see this as a way of getting rid of it, then all well and good, but you’ll always get the ones that slip through the net.”

Lauren Brown, from Motherwell, said those who have firearms for criminal means will be unlikely to hand them over.

“It is a good thing for people who have been involved in crime in the past and want to turn their lives around,” said Lauren. Her mum, Carol Brown agreed. “I think it is a brilliant idea,” said Carol of Netherton.

“As my dad always said, we used to settle rows with our fists.

“Now, if you are going to start a fight, you don’t know what someone will use. I have a grandson approaching 15 and I fear for him.”