The guns are to be melted down by police

A month-long gun amnesty has been branded a pointless "spin exercise" by a gun trader in Birmingham.

The amnesty was launched at the beginning of April by the mothers of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare who were shot dead outside a New Year party in the city.

More than 700 guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition were handed in anonymously across the West Midlands region during scheme which police hailed a success.

The weapons and ammunition will now be melted down by West Midlands Police.

'No illegal use'

However Conrad Cross, who runs the Bates Gun Shop in Birmingham, said the amnesty has had little effect on illegal guns circulating in the West Midlands.

He told BBC WM: "The police said that if these guns were going to be handed in, this would help them not to be around for criminals to use.

"But the it is our opinion these guns would not have been used illegally anyway."

He added: "It was really just a spin exercise which unfortunately this government is so keen to do these days".