Firearms amnesty in Lincolnshire sees 25 guns handed in
A four-week firearms amnesty held in Lincolnshire as part of a national scheme aimed at reducing the number of illegal blank-firing weapons from circulation has resulted in 25 weapons surrendered to Lincolnshire Police.
The national amnesty, which came to an end on Friday February 27, focused on five types of Bruni-manufactured top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) that were considered readily convertible into lethal weapons.
Top-venting blank firers can legally be purchased in the UK by over-18s without a licence, provided they are not readily convertible. However, testing by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police has shown that the following BRUNI models can be easily converted into lethal firearms using common household tools and are therefore illegal to own:
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Wilding of Lincolnshire Police said: "These 25 surrendered firearms have been removed from the public domain which is a positive step in keeping people safe. While Bruni blank firers may have been purchased in good faith and with no criminal intent, we now know that these weapons have the potential to be converted into lethal weapons should they fall into the wrong hands. The amnesty was about taking illegal firearms off the streets as well as preventing them being used in criminal activity in the future."
Lincolnshire joined police forces across the country in this national amnesty, contributing towards the hundreds of weapons surrendered. Earlier this month, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) confirmed 590 surrenders within the first two weeks of February. The final national figure is still being collated.
Police warn anyone found in possession of one of the specified weapons after the amnesty could face prosecution and a prison sentence of up to 10 years.