A POLICE crackdown on the use of illegal air guns on Teesside has netted its first suspect.

A 26-year-old man from Westview Road, in Hartlepool, will appear before magistrates later this morning charged with illegally using a firearm in a public place.

Cleveland police are running a force-wide amnesty to help rid the streets of illegal guns and knives.

The arrest follows a two-year jail sentence for a schoolboy who fatally shot his friend in the head when a prank went tragically wrong.

Daryl Allison, 15, was sent to a young offenders institution on Monday after being found guilty of the manslaughter of best friend Matthew Sheffield.

Superintendent Dave Horner, head of operations at Hartlepool, said: "We will be taking action against anyone in possession of such dangerous weapons.

"This type of weapon should not be kept without a good reason and certainly should not be fired in a public place.

"Anyone wanting to get rid of a firearm can do so at Hartlepool police station 24 hours a day.

"We are appealing to anyone who may have a weapon lying around the house for some years to think about the consequences of what might happen if it got into the wrong hands."