Dozens of people in the North-East have been prompted to surrender weapons following high profile firearms incidents elsewhere in the country, it has been revealed.
Northumbria Police said in the first 13 days of the 2003, 74 weapons were handed in _ nearly double the number surrendered for the same period last year.
Amongst those given to officers for destruction or to be made safe were a BB gun made to look like a self loading automatic pistol and a Flashspotter Infantry Rifle, made in 1935.
The majority of the other weapons were air weapons, replica firearms and blank firers.
The trend shows an average increase of 43 per cent and has been welcomed by Superintendent Steve Storey, Central Support.
He said: "People seem to have taken note of well publicised firearms incidents such as the deaths of two teenagers in Birmingham, the London siege and the government announcement of minimum sentencing for firearms possession.
"We hope this trend continues and more weapons are handed in for destruction."
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