GWENT Police are joining with police forces across the UK to appeal for people to hand over any unlawful or unwanted guns with a two week surrender of firearms and ammunition starting today (Monday, November 13).

Police were keen to point out that this is not an "amnesty" but rather a "surrender", meaning that while people will not be prosecuted for the possession of the firearm, specialist officers will be examining the previous use of the firearm

A spokeswoman for the force said it has been three years since the last national firearms surrender, when forces again asked members of the public to surrender “unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to prevent them from getting into criminal hands”.

She said: “The surrender will run for two weeks from Monday, November 13 to Sunday, November 26. During that period, those handing over firearms will not face prosecution for the illegal possession, at the point of surrender, and can remain anonymous.”

Superintendent Glyn Fernquest said that Gwent doesn’t experience a high level of gun crime.

He said: “Many firearms are held in innocence however there is always a risk that they can end up in the wrong hands and used in criminality. This initiative gives people the opportunity to dispose of any unwanted or unused firearms safely and anonymously , whether they are held lawfully or unlawfully.

“This is a surrender and not an amnesty so whilst people will not be prosecuted for the possession of the firearm, our specialist officers will be examining the previous use of the firearm.”

The latest crime figures issued on October 19,2017 by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that crimes involving firearms in England and Wales have increased by 27 per cent to 6,696.

These figures are for the year ending June 2017 compared with the previous year (5,269 offences).

If you know of anyone involved with illegal firearms call police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are a licensed firearm holder who wants advice you can contact the Gwent Police Firearms Licensing Team. More details can be found on the website gwentpolice.co.uk