Northumbria Police announce two week gun amnesty with three drop off points

Northumbria Police will take part in a nationwide gun amnesty campaign between now and the end of May in the hopes of removing weapons from the streets of Newcastle.

Known as Operation Aztec, the two-week surrender is taking place across England, Scotland and Wales, and aims to encourage people to hand in firearms and ammunition to their local police force.

Police say that many firearms are held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or are overlooked and forgotten in people’s homes.

The surrender runs until Sunday, May 29 and gives people the chance to dispose of firearms or ammunition by simply taking them to a local police station and handing them over.

Those who do so will not face prosecution for the illegal possession at the point of surrender and can remain anonymous.

The last surrender in 2019 saw 54 firearms surrendered along with a quantity of ammunition.

The weapons recovered included 16 shotguns, 11 air rifles, 10 air pistols and three revolvers.

Once handed in, weapons will be forensically examined and then either destroyed or given to museums and exhibitions.

Superintendent David Pickett, from Northumbria Police, is leading on the surrender.

He said: “While incidents involving firearms are rare in our area, we recognise the impact these types of offences can have on our communities and when they do occur we are committed to using every tactic at our disposal to bring offenders to justice.

“Where we can we want to prevent offences from occurring in the first place, and this national initiative can help achieve that – by giving people the chance to dispose of firearms in a safe way.

“One firearm handed in is one less that could potentially be used to harm or threaten our communities.

“If you have a firearm, now is your chance to dispose of it safely, or if you know of one being kept illegally please tell us so we can take action – you could help save a life.”

Weapons can be handed into the following stations: Southwick, Forth Banks and Middle Engine Lane.