A FIREARMS amnesty is giving people in Worcestershire the chance to hand in guns.
West Mercia Police is supporting Operation Magpie which aims to reduce gun crime which have led to hundreds of firearms being taken off the streets.
Similar operations run in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester and West Midlands police forces led to 750 firearms and imitation firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition being removed from the streets.
There were 146 reports of theft of firearms in West Mercia in the last three years (2011-2013) and 78 in Warwickshire.
The operation will run in the Warwickshire and West Mercia policing areas from Monday, November 3 to Sunday, November 16 and will give anyone with a firearm living in the area the opportunity to surrender the weapon at their local police station. People surrendering weapons will not be required to leave any information but if police suspect a weapon may have been involved in a crime they will examine the gun for evidence.
Superintendent Charles Hill said: “Compared to other areas of the country we don’t have a big gun problem in the region. However, we are aware of issues of gun crime nationally and we are keen to play our part in supporting this operation and reducing the opportunities for firearms to be used for criminal offence. Every firearm surrendered is one less weapon that can be used to commit crime.”
The area has a large number of legal firearms owners and this is also an opportunity for them to hand in old weapons or weapons they no longer require.
All surrendered weapons will be destroyed or in exceptional circumstances, if the weapon has historical value, donated to a museum.
To report any concerns about people in possession of firearms, please call the 101 non-emergency number or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, make a report anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website – www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Worcester Police Station in Castle Street is open Monday to Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 10am-4pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here