Amnesty chiefs blown away by latest find

Date published: 25 July 2014


A JAMES Bond-esque shotgun disguised as a walking stick has been handed in to Greater Manchester Police.

As GMP’s “Give Up The Gun” firearms amnesty entered its final few days, an unusual looking shotgun was surrendered.

The cane, thought to have been manufactured in the late 1800s, has a shotgun concealed within the casing.

Cane guns were commonly carried in the 19th and early 20th century to use on wild game.

Now they are strictly prohibited weapons and are mostly held in private collections and museums.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said: “This cane gun is a very peculiar discovery.

“As a prohibited weapon, not even a licence will cover the possession of this item, so the owner did the right thing in handing it over to us, where it will be processed and safely destroyed.”

The firearms amnesty was launched on July 12 and is due to finish at midnight tomorrow night.

Surrendering unwanted, unlicensed weapons avoids the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place.

So far, 164 weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition have been handed over to police, with a varying range of shotguns, air rifles and hand-held pistols surrendered.

Detective Chief Inspector Debbie Dooley, of the Xcalibre Task Force, said: “We are delighted with the progress of the amnesty — it’s been a great success so far and the range of weapons we have received has been eye-opening.

“In the wrong hands, firearms are incredibly dangerous.

“We would urge people to come forward and take advantage of the last two days of the amnesty, no questions asked.”