A FIREARMS amnesty event – which will allow residents to hand in weapons – will be held in Barnsley next month.
While top-venting blank firearms (TVBFs) are legal to buy in the UK without a licence for those over the age of 18, any type that is found to be readily convertible is illegal.
Testing by the National Crime Agency (NCA) has recently found that four specific types of TVBFs – Turkish models, Retay, Ekol, Ceonic ISSC and Blow – are readily convertible with common tools and without specialist skills.
The four brands are therefore illegal under section 1 (6) of the Firearms Act 1982, meaning that they are prohibited firearms under section 5 (1) of the Firearms Act 1968.
An amnesty will be held from Monday to February 28 and will provide owners an opportunity to hand in TVBFs at police stations around South Yorkshire.
In Barnsley, residents are being advised to hand in their weapons at Churchfields and have been told that while transporting the TVBF should be kept out of public sight, taken to the station straight away to minimise the time spent in public, and that upon arrival staff at the counter should be informed of the intention to hand in a firearm before presenting it.
Retailers and importers of these specific TVBFs have been instructed to cease trading them and possession of one of the firearms after the amnesty ends could result in a prison sentence of ten years.
Detective Inspector Claire Moss said: “If you remain in possession of one of these illegal weapons, not only do you risk being handed a considerable jail sentence, but you are also posing a danger to innocent members of your local community.”
