DOZENS of firearms were handed in to police during a two-week gun amnesty.

A total of 59 weapons were surrendered at police stations across Cheshire, including Warrington Police Station.

These included 20 shotguns, 21 air rifles and air pistols and a shotgun disguised as a walking cane.

Held between Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, August 4, gun owners were invited to hand over the weapons anonymously without the fear of being prosecuted.

Possession of such a weapon can lead to a five-year prison sentence.

All weapons seized will be examined to ensure that they have not been used in any criminal offence before being deactivated and destroyed.

Cheshire Police inspector David Price said: “While it isn’t unusual for the public to hand in firearms throughout the year, I want to thank those who did so during the surrender.

“You have helped play your part in stopping them from falling into the hands of dangerous criminals.

“I also want to thank those who handed in imitation firearms such as BB guns and airsoft weapons which look like real firearms and are often used by criminals to threaten and frighten others.

“Although gun crime is low in Cheshire, we must never forget that illegal firearms are dangerous and handing them in to police goes a long way in making your community a safer place.

“Even though the surrender has ended, I still want to encourage anyone who holds an unwanted or illegal firearm to contact police on 101 and we can arrange for it to be collected and destroyed.”

Other police stations holding amnesties across the county included Widnes, Runcorn, Northwich, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Macclesfield and Crewe.

Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane added: “This firearms surrender has taken a significant number of dangerous weapons off our streets and stopped them getting into the hands of criminals, which could have had serious or potentially fatal consequences.

“I’d like to thank members of the public that chose to do the right thing and hand in these illegal firearms during the surrender – I’d also like to remind other Cheshire residents of the consequences of concealing a dangerous weapon and encourage anyone in illegal possession of a firearm to contact police.”