Firearms Surrender comes to an end

A total of 74 firearms or their component parts have been handed into Leicestershire Police during a two-week national firearms surrender.

The surrender, co-ordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), asked the public to hand in illegal, unwanted and unlicensed firearms as well as stun guns, Tasers, CS spray and ammunition. Many forces across the UK also took part in the surrender which ran from Thursday 12 to Sunday 29 May.

All of the firearms handed over will be destroyed or in the case of a small number, sent to NABIS for further forensic testing.

Rifles, handguns, air pistols, revolvers and imitation firearms were among those handed into Neighbourhood Policing Areas (NPAs) across the county including a WWII Luger.

A large quantity of ammunition was also handed over to the force for destruction.

Chief Inspector Cara Guest-Moore, Specialist Support, Tactical Dogs and Firearms, said:

“Our aim throughout this surrender has been to avoid the risk of illegal firearms becoming involved in crime. It has given the public a safe place for firearms and ammunition to be disposed of and I’m pleased to see that people made good use of this opportunity.

“Taking just one weapon off the streets, means that there is one less that can fall into the wrong hands and be used to harm or threaten our communities.

“We use various tactics to locate illegal weapons. The fight against gun crime is stronger than ever and we’re always working with partners and local communities to safeguard, educate and intervene at the earliest opportunity.

“Leicestershire Police will continue to robustly investigate those that illegally arm themselves and take measures to combat gun crime. Our commitment to keeping gun crime low will continue beyond this surrender, and I hope that we can count on the public for their continued support.”

Rupert Matthews, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland welcomed the results, saying: “Every weapon surrendered is one less potential act of violence in the wrong hands.  I know that Leicestershire Police are working hard every day of every week to tackle violence of all kinds on our streets and in our communities and I applaud their efforts on this initiative.”

If you know of anyone involved with illegal firearms call police on 101 or Crimestoppers (anonymously) on 0800 555 111. If you are a licensed firearm holder who wants advice please contact Leicestershire Police here.