More than 700 guns were handed in during the amnesty

A youth worker said the national gun amnesty should be extended by two months.

The month-long amnesty, which ended on Wednesday, allowed people to hand in their weapons without fear of conviction.

More than 700 guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition were handed in anonymously across the West Midlands region.

But Anthony Gordon, from The Partnership Against Crime (Pac), said one month was not long enough to persuade people to hand over their weapons.

People in our area don't want to be seen in the back of a police car let alone walking into a police station Anthony Gordon, youth worker

He said: "Some of the men I work with are very sceptical about the police.

"We need at least three months to persuade people to hand in their guns."

The Pac was set up last year and involves five people who work with young black men in the Handsworth and Aston areas.

Neutral ground

Two youth workers act as mentors to more than 100 men and encourage them to take up learning programmes.

Mr Gordon said he did welcome the amnesty.

"If we had more time we could have set up some kind of neutral ground where people could have handed in their weapons without going into a police station."

He said the police had been instrumental in helping to set up partnerships within the community.

West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson said the amnesty had been a huge success but agreed that it should be extended.

"If in just one month 700 guns are handed in why not extend it further."

The gun amnesty was launched at the beginning of April by the mothers of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare.

The teenagers were shot dead outside a New Year party in Birmingham.