More than 40 blank firing guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition have been handed over in Nottinghamshire during a national amnesty.
Forces across the country have taken part in a four-week campaign aimed at taking certain models of top venting blank firers (TVBFs) out of harm’s way following a change in the law.
A total of 42 blank firers and more than 500 rounds of blank and live ammunition were turned in at police stations in Nottinghamshire during February.
It followed tests by the National Crime Agency (NCA) which indicated four specific types of Turkish-manufactured TVBFs could potentially be converted into viable handguns.
This development led to a change in the law from the start of February making it illegal to buy or own one of these firearms in the UK.
Anyone found in possession of one faced the possibility of up to 10 years in jail.
The amnesty allowed people to hand them in to police front counters in Radford, Beeston, Oxclose Lane, Mansfield and Newark without fear of reprisal.
Nobody had to leave their details when surrendering their TVBF, however, the history of any live firearms handed in was checked to see if there was any evidence of it being used in a crime.
While the amnesty – led by the NCA, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) – was aimed at seizing TVBFs, anyone wanting to hand over any unwanted firearms or ammunition was able to do so.
Top-venting blank firers are legal to buy in the UK for people over the age of 18 and, in their original state, are designed to discharge only blank cartridges, while they are painted in bright colours to distinguish them as non-viable firearms.
They are, however, appealing to criminals who convert them, due to the large profits they can generate from selling them, with more than 800 TVBFs recovered by UK police in criminal circumstances since 2021.
Detective Superintendent Christopher Sullivan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“We are pleased by the results of this amnesty which have allowed us to take more than 40 potential weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition off the streets and out of harm’s way.
“This has prevented them getting into the wrong hands, being converted into viable firearms and being used by criminals.
“Gun crime in Nottinghamshire thankfully remains very rare and we have been proactive about taking these weapons off the streets.
“Together with our partners we continue to work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.
“I’d like to thank the people who have helped us by handing over these blank firers during February’s amnesty.”
If you know of anyone involved in illegal firearms activity, you should report it immediately, either to the police on 101, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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