WITH two weeks of the national firearms amnesty gone, more than 25 guns have been handed in at police stations in the Lancaster and Morecambe area. The amnesty, launched in the wake of the Dunblane tragedy, is designed to allow people with illegally held guns to hand them in to the police without fear of prosecution. Supt Bernard Kershaw of Lancaster Police said: "The success of these things is very hard to judge but we are very pleased that some firearms have been handed over. We would now encourage people to make use of this opportunity while the scheme is still running."

The amnesty, the first of its kind since 1988, is set to run until Sunday June 30. The man behind the idea, Home Secretary Michael Howard, added: "Every weapon given up is one fewer that could be stolen and used by criminals. If you have a gun that you want to hand in and have any doubts about how to handle it safely, you should contact your local police.

"My message to anyone with an unwanted gun is that the amnesty provides the perfect opportunity to get rid of it."

Once weapons have been handed in they will be stored by the police before being disposed of. During previous, similar schemes, surrendered guns have been melted down and recycled into a variety of items from manhole covers to bollards.

Under the scheme, people who hand in illegally held guns won't be prosecuted under the Firearms Act 1968 but police may pursue normal inquiries if a weapon is believed to have been used in a crime. Leaflets explaining how to take part in the scheme are available at police stations, libraries and at Citizens Advice Bureaux.

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