Cambridgeshire residents asked to surrender their firearms in campaign

The campaign will run between Monday, November 13 and Sunday, November 26, during which time members of the public will be encouraged to surrender any firearms in their possession to the police.

Cambridgeshire remains one of the safest counties in the country and has little gun crime, say the police. However, this operation is being carried out in support of the national campaign which, along with other crime prevention initiatives, will contribute to making Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties safer places in which to live.

The campaign in Cambridgeshire is mainly aimed at those who have firearms in their possession that are not licensed, either through inheritance, or that are otherwise unwanted.

If you have a firearm in your possession that you do not want contact the firearms surrender team on 101.

Specially trained officers will then arrange to come and collect the weapon, or advise you on how to apply for the required certificate. Alternatively you can arrange an appointment to bring the weapon to Huntingdon to surrender it during the amnesty.

Members of the public can surrender any firearms, anonymously if they wish, without fear of prosecution for firearms licensing offences, so if you have an unwanted firearm this is the time to get rid of it.

If you own a firearm and would like to discuss applying for a certificate to enable you to continue to own it legally, please call the firearms surrender team on 101.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire Jason Ablewhite said: “Fortunately there is very little gun-related crime in Cambridgeshire, and this campaign will contribute to making the county safer and continue to keep this type of crime low.

“I am pleased Cambridgeshire is supporting this national campaign and it is important to reduce the number of firearms in the country as a whole. This will help to make Cambridgeshire and neighbouring counties even safer by reducing the number of guns held privately.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Nathan Briant said: “There is very little gun crime in Cambridgeshire, but as part of a coordinated national campaign to stop guns falling into the wrong hands we are joining forces across the country to help people dispose of guns safely.

“We believe that there may be a people who have inherited or come into possession of unlicensed firearms and will be eager to get rid of them. Whatever the circumstances, the amnesty provides the opportunity to dispose of these unwanted firearms safely and with peace of mind.”

For more information on the firearms amnesty visit: https://www.cambs.police.uk/information-and-services/Firearms-and-shotguns/Firearms-amnesty.aspx.