Firearms amnesty

People in possession of guns or ammunition are being encouraged to hand them in as part of a campaign to make Sussex a safer place.

Some firearms are held in innocence being relics or souvenirs  of past conflicts and their owners are ignorant of their illegality. Others are acquired and distributed by criminal networks to harm, threaten and intimidate their local communities.

The appeal, which runs from 13 November to 26 November, gives people the chance to dispose of firearms or ammunition by simply handing them in at their local police station without repercussions.

The aim of the operation, supported by Sussex Police, is to reduce the number of illegally held firearms in circulation which could fall into the hands of criminals.

This includes replica firearms, air weapons, BB guns, imitation firearms, antique guns, component parts and other ballistic items.

Sussex Police Detective Chief Inspector Steve Rayland said: “While crimes involving firearms in both Sussex and Surrey are extremely rare, we understand that every weapon poses a potential threat if not licensed and stored safely. That’s why we’re offering people this opportunity to safely hand in their unwanted weapons which, if in the wrong hands, could be deadly.

“During the surrender we want people to hand in illegally-held guns and ammunition, imitation firearms and air guns used for criminal purposes, other unwanted guns and ammunition including air guns and imitations, and firearms you are being asked to hide for someone else. If you have a gun that falls into any of these categories, now is your chance to hand it in.”