MORE weapons were handed over in and around Lancaster during the June firearms amnesty than anywhere else in the county. Figures released as the amnesty came to an end on Sunday evening showed that 75 of the 282 firearms surrendered in the county were handed over in the Lancaster division. That includes Morecambe and Garstang. One man arrived at Lancaster police station last week with 24,000 rounds of ammunition, two shotguns, a rifle, a pistol, an air pistol, three handguns and a hand grenade!

Chief Inspector David Thornton of Lancaster Police said: "We are very pleased with the response from the public. Every gun handed in to the police is one less that criminals will have access to.

"We would now urge the public not to hesitate to turn guns they might find in cellars and attics over to us even though the amnesty has officially finished."

The breakdown of weapons handed over in the Lancaster division was:

38 shotguns

10 air weapons

10 rifles

17 handguns

various knives, ammunition, two machetes and even a hand grenade.

Lancashire Constabulary's assistant Chief Constable (Operations Support) John Vine added: "We are pleased people have taken the opportunity to surrender unwanted and illegal firearms. The chance of these weapons falling into the wrong hands no longer exists."

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