Officers only know if guns are real after taking them off youths

Officers are concerned about the number of youths brandishing imitation firearms in public. The force starts a week-long firearms amnesty on Monday.

Ch Insp Clive Wood said highly-trained officers are called out to gun incidents, not knowing if the weapons facing them are real or replicas.

He said the officers do not know if they are toys until after the incident.

'First time?'

He added: "So far, our officers have never had to fire a shot outside of the training room, but we don't want there to be a first occasion."

Ch Insp Wood said it is vital to get the guns off the streets.

Weapons can be handed in at police stations around the county.

A gun amnesty in Nottingham, called Not in Nottingham - Not in MY City, saw 40 weapons handed over in 2004.

But more than 600 were handed in during a similar operation in April 2003.