redkite
05-04-10, 10:20 AM
edinburghnews.scotsman.com - Edinburgh Evening News - 05-Apr-2010
Two guns removed from the streets in Lothian every day (http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Two-guns-removed-from-the.6203767.jp)
http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/EN//TH1_5420109en05gun.jpg
A replica M4 riffle BB gun
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By Alan McEWEN
TWO guns are now being taken off the streets every day in the Lothians, as new figures show dozens of pump-action shotguns, rifles and handguns being destroyed by police in the last year alone.
The weapons, which include a short-barreled Luger pistol from the Second World War, have all been surrendered to officers.
They will be taken to be melted down and recycled to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals.
The Evening News can reveal a total of 4,163 different firearms have been surrendered in the Lothians in the last five years, an average of more than 800 annually.
The weapons given up last year included 23 bolt-action rifles, 22 revolvers, pump-action shotguns, a semi-automatic Carbine rifle and nine stun guns. Seven captive bolt guns used to slaughter cattle and other farm animals were also part of last year's haul.
Dozens of air rifles, air guns and BB guns were given up, many confiscated from children by parents, before passing them to police.
PC Steve White, from the force's firearms section, said: "It's better to have them off the streets. It's always pleasing to know where these weapons are and remove them from circulation.
"In many cases, perhaps a grandfather has passed away and has a firearm, or a collection of firearms, and the family simply don't want anything to do with them. That's why we see a lot of weapons from the Second World War era."
Many shotguns and other firearms used by criminals in the Capital are acquired through thefts from legitimate owners.
Background checks are carried out on each weapon handed in to determine whether it was used in a crime before being recycled.
Any weapon suspected of being involved in a crime is passed to the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) laboratory in Glasgow for ballistic tests.
The number of firearms surrendered to police is now on the decline, with police saying the death of toddler Andrew Morton, who was shot with an air gun in Glasgow in March 2005, sparked the surrender of a large haul of weapons.
PC White added: "We do get parents who find their children have an air weapon and take it from them, or they find an old air gun in the attic and decide they don't want it in the house.
"Some of the imitation firearms sold as children's toys are so realistic you can only tell they are fake by a close inspection, but parents seem to be moving increasingly away from buying their children toy guns like these. And those toys that are given to children are often in bright colours which you couldn't mistake for the real thing."
The firearms section normally waits until it has about 800 guns in its possession before transporting the haul to an unspecified location for destruction.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "It is encouraging that so many weapons have been handed in. This is by far the safest way to dispose of these weapons."
EXOTIC ********NAL
AMONG the more exotic items handed in to Lothian and Borders Police over the past five years has been a German officer's pistol from 1876 which the Royal Museum declined to add to its collection.
An "Argentine machine gun" from the Second World War was one of 45 weapons from the force's ballistics section to be destroyed after being deemed surplus to requirements.
The gun was used to carry out comparative forensic checks before being sent for destruction.
Police also took receipt of a shotgun disguised as a walking stick in 2006.
Two guns removed from the streets in Lothian every day (http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Two-guns-removed-from-the.6203767.jp)
http://editorial.jpress.co.uk/web/Upload/EN//TH1_5420109en05gun.jpg
A replica M4 riffle BB gun
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/images/1pixel_spacer.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:%20ShowThumb%282%29;)
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/images/1pixel_spacer.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:%20ShowThumb%283%29;)
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/images/1pixel_spacer.gif (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:%20ShowThumb%284%29;)
By Alan McEWEN
TWO guns are now being taken off the streets every day in the Lothians, as new figures show dozens of pump-action shotguns, rifles and handguns being destroyed by police in the last year alone.
The weapons, which include a short-barreled Luger pistol from the Second World War, have all been surrendered to officers.
They will be taken to be melted down and recycled to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals.
The Evening News can reveal a total of 4,163 different firearms have been surrendered in the Lothians in the last five years, an average of more than 800 annually.
The weapons given up last year included 23 bolt-action rifles, 22 revolvers, pump-action shotguns, a semi-automatic Carbine rifle and nine stun guns. Seven captive bolt guns used to slaughter cattle and other farm animals were also part of last year's haul.
Dozens of air rifles, air guns and BB guns were given up, many confiscated from children by parents, before passing them to police.
PC Steve White, from the force's firearms section, said: "It's better to have them off the streets. It's always pleasing to know where these weapons are and remove them from circulation.
"In many cases, perhaps a grandfather has passed away and has a firearm, or a collection of firearms, and the family simply don't want anything to do with them. That's why we see a lot of weapons from the Second World War era."
Many shotguns and other firearms used by criminals in the Capital are acquired through thefts from legitimate owners.
Background checks are carried out on each weapon handed in to determine whether it was used in a crime before being recycled.
Any weapon suspected of being involved in a crime is passed to the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) laboratory in Glasgow for ballistic tests.
The number of firearms surrendered to police is now on the decline, with police saying the death of toddler Andrew Morton, who was shot with an air gun in Glasgow in March 2005, sparked the surrender of a large haul of weapons.
PC White added: "We do get parents who find their children have an air weapon and take it from them, or they find an old air gun in the attic and decide they don't want it in the house.
"Some of the imitation firearms sold as children's toys are so realistic you can only tell they are fake by a close inspection, but parents seem to be moving increasingly away from buying their children toy guns like these. And those toys that are given to children are often in bright colours which you couldn't mistake for the real thing."
The firearms section normally waits until it has about 800 guns in its possession before transporting the haul to an unspecified location for destruction.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "It is encouraging that so many weapons have been handed in. This is by far the safest way to dispose of these weapons."
EXOTIC ********NAL
AMONG the more exotic items handed in to Lothian and Borders Police over the past five years has been a German officer's pistol from 1876 which the Royal Museum declined to add to its collection.
An "Argentine machine gun" from the Second World War was one of 45 weapons from the force's ballistics section to be destroyed after being deemed surplus to requirements.
The gun was used to carry out comparative forensic checks before being sent for destruction.
Police also took receipt of a shotgun disguised as a walking stick in 2006.