'˜Give up your guns': Police call to surrender unlicensed firearms

Lincolnshire Police are giving residents the opportunity to give up their guns in a bid to promote safety.
Lincolnshire Police are appealing to residents to give up their firearms. ANL-170630-122533001Lincolnshire Police are appealing to residents to give up their firearms. ANL-170630-122533001
Lincolnshire Police are appealing to residents to give up their firearms. ANL-170630-122533001

Residents can surrender into ‘safer hands’ their unlicensed or unwanted firearms, ammunition, war memorabilia and imitation weapons between July 3 and 10.

The surrender period will serve as a reminder and an opportunity for people to relieve their homes and their consciences of unlicensed and unwanted weapons.

Temporary Superintendent Phil Vickers said: “This is a chance for people to really think about whether they want to hold on to their weapons, and as a reminder to check that they still have the legal right to do so.

“One less firearm means one less opportunity for tragedy. The potential for the weapon to cause accidental injury, to fall into the wrong hands or be used in a suicide is removed.”

The last firearms surrender in 2014 proved successful with 132 weapons handed in. Officers found many of these to be shotguns for which a licence was not held, or had expired.

“The vast majority of licence holders in our county treat this huge responsibility with the required importance. However, there may be people who don’t want this responsibility anymore, whose licences have lapsed or, sadly, through the death of the licence holder, the weapons are no longer legally held. We can take this worry away for you,” said Temporary Superintendent Phil Vickers.

The surrender will also invite imitation and replica weapons. Temporary Superintendent Phil Vickers explained: “The fear and intimidation they cause is real even if they are not. Anything that looks like a firearm will be accepted as part of the surrender week.”

Residnts should contact police immediately if you know that someone else has a firearm illegally or are concerned about someone in possession of any firearm, even if they have a licence.

In an emergency dial 999, and if you don’t want to give your name you can ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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