UK police offers 2-week deadline to surrender illegal weapons

The UK's National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), which is coordinating the surrender, says many firearms are held by individuals in ignorance of their illegality. "Surrendering unwanted or illegal firearms avoids the risk of them becoming involved in crime," said Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Chilton, head of NABIS.

Under the new amnesty period, anyone handing in weapons will not automatically be charged but could face action if those weapons are later connected to a crime.

"You don't have to give your name or address, we just want more guns out of harm's way," said Helen McMillan, the firearms lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council.

"It could be a trophy of war, it could be a starting pistol please contact us on 101 and arrange to hand it in to your nearest police station.

Each firearm we retrieve has the potential to save a life so do the right thing and surrender your weapon," she said.

BB or air guns, rifles, shotguns or pistols are among the weapons police in England and Wales say should be handed in by the November 26 cut-off date.

The amnesty is aimed at people who may accidentally come across weapons when clearing the homes of relatives and may not know what to do with them.

After the last such gun surrender amnesty in England and Wales in 2014, more than 6,000 weapons were handed in. Scotland Yard has launched a social media drive to coincide with the gun surrender campaign.