Lancashire firearm amnesty yields big ammo haul

A total of 3,737 pieces of ammo were handed over to police in Lancashire Police’s Western Division which includes Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

Officers in the division also received three live rifles, six live handguns, six shotguns and a total of 15 air powered weapons.

The ammunition handed over in the west of the county made up almost 90 per cent of the total figure for Lancashire.

Overall figures showed the amnesty had been even more of a success than the 2014 surrender

A total of 137 guns and 4,240 rounds of ammunition were handed into Lancashire Constabulary.

The surrender, which ran from Monday April 4 until Monday April 18, saw 38 air rifles, 29 air pistols, 22 handguns, 19 shotguns, six rifles and three antique firearms amongst those handed in across Lancashire.

Chief Insp Mark Baines said: “Clearly it’s concerning to see so many dangerous weapons on the street but taking these firearms and ammunition out of circulation can only be a good thing. We’re delighted so many firearms have been handed in.”

Those who surrendered firearms during the two-week period may not face prosecution for the illegal possession and could choose to remain anonymous. However, each firearm handed in will be assessed by firearms officers, with some weapons now being forensically checked for evidence. The majority of the items will be destroyed.