Hundred-year-old gun handed in during firearms amnesty

The Mark VI Webley .455 gun was a standard issue sidearm commonly used by British and Commonwealth officers between 1910-1940.

It was surrendered by a member of the public who found it in her loft while sorting through her late husband’s belongings.

The national firearms surrender campaign runs until next Sunday (August 4).

Chief Supt Catherine Akehurst, firearms surrender campaign lead for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police forces, said: “The revolver has been checked and it is a viable weapon which means it can still fire live ammunition. Thankfully it has been handed in during the campaign so there is one less firearm out in the community that could potentially fall into the wrong hands.

“We are urging all members of the public to consider what weapons might be in their homes, including any war memorabilia passed down through the generations. These may have been legally held for many years but legislative changes in the 1960s mean that this is unlikely to be the case today without a firearms licence.”

Members of the public who hand in firearms during the two-week national campaign will not face prosecution for possession of a weapon at the point of its surrender.

To surrender a firearm, call 101 and the firearms surrender team will discuss appropriate collection arrangements.

To find out more about applying for a firearms license, visit www.herts.police.uk/apply.