AN amnesty has seen 19 illegal firearms handed to Cheshire Police to be destroyed. The force took part in a national, month-long amnesty operation to prevent easily convertible blank-firing weapons from falling into the hands of criminals. The amnesty campaign to remove Bruni-manufactured side or top-venting blank-firing (TVBF) firearms from Cheshire’s streets ran throughout February.
The aim of the operation was to prevent these illegal firearms from being used within criminal circles, with recent testing finding that TVBF firearms can be converted to discharge lethal ammunition. Even in cases where the weapons have not been converted, they have been used in criminal activity, with many having their typically bright-coloured exteriors painted black to imitate real firearms. Following the conclusion of the amnesty, these weapons are now illegal to possess in England and Wales, and anyone with one could face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Cheshire Police says that, across the county, gun-related crime remains low, but 19 of the now-illegal firearms were handed in to police during the amnesty period. Since being handed over, they have been made safe by specialist officers and will be destroyed, permanently preventing them from falling into the wrong hands. DCI Danielle Knox, of the force’s intelligence bureau, said: “This amnesty was run with the sole purpose of allowing the public to safely dispose of any of these now-illegal firearms without judgement or repercussions.
“With that in mind, Bruni-manufactured side or top-venting blank-firing firearms are now illegal, and anyone found in possession of one will face the full extent of the law. “We are very fortunate that, as a county, Cheshire has some of the lowest rates of gun-related crime in the country. “Now that these weapons have been handed over to officers, we have taken further steps to make our streets even safer.
“On a local level, your neighbourhood officers will continue to work with partner agencies and organisations to provide education around the dangers, rules, and regulations surrounding firearms. “This is to ensure that gun crime remains low and does not become a prevalent problem for the people of Cheshire in the future.