A hundred plus guns handed to police

A suspected First World War machine gun was among the 115 firearms and ammunition handed in at police stations across the county as part of a two-week drive to get people to hand over illegal weapons.

Police praised the initiative’s success. Items handed in during the surrender period, which ran from November 13 to 26 November, included:20 shotguns, four rifles, revolvers and pistols, 21 air weapons and ball bearing guns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 41 pinfire rounds.

Supt Julian Platt, of Lancashire Police, said: “The campaign has shown significant success with members of the public keen to use this opportunity to hand in weapons and work with us to help keep our county safe.

“Not all of the firearms would have had the potential to be used in serious crime, but some would and the pin fire rounds in particular, are highly volatile and would be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “This is an important step in protecting Lancashire’s residents and ensuring that they feel safe and secure in their communities.”