Month-long amnesty to tackle risk posed by blank firing guns

Police forces across the country are urging the owners of specific brands of blank-firing guns to hand them in at station front counters across a month-long national amnesty.

Essex Police is taking part in the amnesty, running from 3rd – 28th February, which applies only to Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firearms (TVBF).

Anyone found in possession of a certain brands of TVBF after the amnesty could be subject to prosecution and face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The amnesty relates to four specific brands of TVBF: Blow, Ceonic, Ekol and Retay.

TVBFs are legal to buy in the UK without a license, but crucially only if they are not readily convertible.

After testing these four specific models, partners in the National Crime Agency have found they are readily convertible into viable firearms.

During the amnesty period, those handing in a TVBF will not face prosecution and will not have to give their details.

Other unwanted firearms and ammunition may be surrendered at any time under our usual surrender procedure.

TVBFs of the four brands listed above can be handed in during the four-week amnesty at the following police stations:

South Essex

• Basildon Police Station, Great Oaks, Basildon SS14 1EJ
• Southend Police Station, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ES

West Essex

• Harlow Police Station, The High, Harlow, CN20 1HG
• Grays Police Station, Brook Road, Grays, RM17 5BX

North Essex

• Colchester Police Station, 10 Southway, Colchester CO3 3BU
• Clacton Police Station, 8 Beatrice Road, Clacton CO15 1ET
• Braintree Police Station, Blyths Meadow, Braintree CM7 3DJ
• Chelmsford Police Station, New Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1NF

'These blank firing guns pose a very real risk'

Temporary Chief Inspector Julia Finch, of our Operational Policing Command, said:

“Incidents of gun crime across our county of Essex thankfully remain extremely low.
“But that doesn’t mean we are ever complacent and it is right that we play an active part in this amnesty.
“These specific brands of blank firers are readily convertible to viable firearms and are therefore rightly illegal.
“We are committed to robustly investigating serious crime and protecting the public.

"This amnesty plays a role in removing potential future firearms from circulation, while allowing those who legally purchased them to hand them in without prosecution for a limited time period.
“We work closely with the National Crime Agency and partners abroad to share intelligence relating to the criminal firearms marketplace.
“This work helps us to target organised crime groups and disrupt the criminal supply chains.
“Our ask is if you do currently own any TVBF, bring it in to your nearest police station front counter and hand it in.
“This will help you avoid potential prosecution and prevent these guns getting into the wrong hands.
“You may own one of these blank-firers, entirely innocent and ignorant of its illegality. Or perhaps one lies forgotten or overlooked in your home.
“Whatever the circumstances, please feel confident in bringing this item in to us if it fits the criteria.”

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said:

“These top venting blank firers are used by criminals and can be converted into lethal firearms.
“During the last two years, policing teams across the UK and the NCA have identified and disrupted several workshops used to convert these pistols into lethal weapons.
“In the same period, large numbers of converted weapons were recovered across multiple locations, alongside thousands of rounds of blank calibre and modified ammunition.
“One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group. There is a strong demand for them, which is evidenced by the numbers imported and subsequent recovery from criminals.
“Stopping the sale of these TVBFs from being converted will go a significant way to help protect the public.”

If you know of anyone involved in illegal firearms activity, you should report it immediately, either to the police on 101, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.