Four-week blank-firing gun amnesty underway in Staffordshire and Cheshire
People caught with them after 28 February risk prosecution
A four week-amnesty is underway across Staffordshire and Cheshire to hand in blank firing guns, that are being converted to fire deadly ammunition.
Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firers are now illegal to possess after testing by the National Crime Agency and policing.
Anyone found with the weapon after 28 February could be jailed for up to ten years.
They are being banned because tests show they are being converted into weapons that can severely injure or kill.
In their original state, TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges.
When they are discharged, combustion gases vent from the top of the weapon.
They are sold with at least 50% of their visible surface painted a bright colour, but criminals are converting them into lethal firearms and also painting them black so they look like an original lethal weapon.
More than 800 of the guns have been recovered in criminal circumstances and they have been used to kill four people in the UK in the last two years.
Superintendent Mat Derrick, head of operations in Staffordshire, said:
“I would ask and encourage anyone in possession of one of the four types of top-venting blank firearms to safely surrender it at one of our designated police stations.
“Firearm offences remain low in Staffordshire, by supporting and recognising the importance of this campaign will further help keep our communities safe by removing them from circulation and reducing the possibility of them being used inappropriately.”
Superintendent Gareth Wrigley, who is leading amnesty operations in Cheshire, said:
"Gun crime in the Cheshire, thankfully, is very rare but we are not complacent about gun crime, which is why we are conducting the Turkish Top-Venting Firearms Amnesty after tests have shown they can be readily converted into firearms, therefore making them illegal to possess.
“Surrendering top-venting blank firers manufactured by BLOW, CEONIC, EKOL and RETAY now will help prevent them falling into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals.
"More often than not, the top halves of these firearms come in bright colours such as blue, pink or yellow, so they most definitely cannot be missed.
"We want as many top-venting blank firers as possible to be handed in and I encourage anyone in possession of one to visit their local police station to hand them in. I would also like to reiterate, that anyone who does choose to hand in a TVBF during the amnesty period, will not face prosecution.
"You can also choose to do this anonymously, so there is no excuse for not disposing of these kinds of firearms.
“As always, we will be continually working with our partner organisations in educating the people of our county about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.”
Firearms can be handed in at these locations across Staffordshire and Cheshire:
- Blacon Police Station
- Crewe Police Station
- Macclesfield Police Station
- Warrington Police Station
- Widnes Police Station
- Burton Police Station
- Cannock Police Station
- Longton Police Station