More than 20 firearms surrendered in amnesty

Northamptonshire Police said 24 unwanted or illegal firearms were handed in during a four-week amnesty.

The force said 11 were Bruni blank firing weapons,11 were blank firing weapons of a different brand, and two were BB guns.

The amnesty, coordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, had a particular focus on top-venting blank firers (TVBFs).

Insp Craig Johnson said: "These weapons could have been converted to be viable firearms if not relinquished and, by handing them in, these people have made our county a safer place."

"While nationally and locally, crimes involving firearms remain low, any incident involving a gun within our communities is one too many," he added.

In their original state TVBF's have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges, but Northamptonshire Police said, since 2021, UK law enforcement had recovered 800 such weapons that had been converted to fire live ammunition.

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