More than 130 firearms handed in during Merseyside gun amnesty

The initiative was a chance for people to hand in firearms or antique, replica and decommissioned firearms that could be reactivated and used for criminal purposes.

Among the weapons and more than 2,000 rounds of live ammunition handed in were 22 viable firearms.

The number exceeds the 122 hand-ins during the force's last surrender in November 2017.

The hand-ins included:

• 22 viable guns
• 36 air weapons
• Nine blank firers including an Olympic 38
• 19 imitations and de activated items
• 17 lots of ammo – including at least 2000 viable rounds, mainly .22 and 12 gauge.
• 23 items of miscellany including crossbows, pellets, blanks, an ornamental shell from a Harrier Jump jet; toy guns and home load ammo accessories

Detective superintendent Richie Salter said: "We know that firearms – whether real, deactivated, air weapons or imitations, have the potential to fall into the wrong hands and be used to cause fear or intimidation.

"We have a commitment to our communities to protect them from criminals and criminal behaviour and by getting rid of weapons such as this helps us to fulfil that commitment but is not the only thing we are doing.

"Every single day our officers are doing proactive work to remove guns and other potentially lethal weapons from our streets as part of our ongoing pledge to tackle serious and violent crime, disrupt criminal activity and put those making other people's lives a misery behind bars.

"I would like to thank members of the public who supported this surrender and handed in their unwanted or unused weapons for safe disposal.

"I would also continue to ask people that if they know where weapons are being stored or who is using them to let us know so that we can take action."

Anyone with information about who is using or storing weapons in their area can DM @MerPolCC, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.