More than 300 firearms surrendered to Police Scotland
More than 300 firearms have been handed in to police across Scotland as part of a UK-wide gun surrender campaign.
It comes as latest figures show Police Scotland recorded a rise in firearms crimes, although numbers were still the second lowest on record.
In 2019/20 Police Scotland recorded 341 offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been involved– an increase of three per cent from 332 the previous year.
However, the Scottish government report said the total for 2018/19 was “the lowest since records began in 1980, with the 341 offences in 2019/20 the second lowest”.
There was one homicide involving a firearm recorded in 2019/20, down from three the previous year, and seven attempted murders involving the use of a firearm, down from nine in 2018/19.
The report shows the most commonly committed offences involving a firearm in 2019/20 were possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life or commit crime (33 per cent), breach of the peace (14 per cent) and robbery (11 per cent).
The number of offences in which a firearm was discharged and caused fatal or non-fatal injury increased by seven from 27 in 2018/19 to 34 in 2019/20.
A pistol/revolver was the main firearm used in 28 per cent of all offences including the alleged involvement of a firearm in 2019/20, followed by an air weapon (21 per cent) and other firearms (18 per cent).
Police Scotland’s firearms surrender campaign saw 319 weapons, including shotguns, BB guns, air weapons and imitation firearms, together with 80 lots of ammunition, handed in to police stations between Thursday May 12 and Sunday May 29.
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Keith Brown said: “We are grateful to Police Scotland for this important campaign to encourage those in possession of unneeded or unlicensed firearms or air weapons to safely hand them over.
“Firearm offences remain at historically low levels in Scotland, but by removing more than 300 weapons as well as ammunition this initiative will help keep our communities safe and prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs added: “It’s really important that we continue to build on public safety across Scotland by providing opportunities for the safe surrender of weapons like this and by reminding the public to check their licences.
“Members of the public are reminded that it is against the law to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm, regardless of how you acquire it and are reminded that firearms can be surrendered to the police at any time.”