Public urged to hand in blank-firing guns during national amnesty

Wiltshire Police will be taking part in a national amnesty beginning today (03/02) for owners of soon to be outlawed blank firing guns to hand them over to police.

The firearms amnesty will cover Turkish manufactured top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) which are now illegal to possess after they were found to be convertible to a viable firearm following testing by the National Crime Agency and policing.

The amnesty will take place between 3 to 28 February 2025, after which anyone in possession of a TVBF could be subject to prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment.

The specific Turkish firearms soon to be made illegal are the brands Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow, although anyone with a TBVF who is unsure of whether the law change applies to them has been given the simple advice – if in doubt, hand it in.

TVBFs are legal to buy in the UK without a licence by over 18s unless they are readily convertible.

Owners are encouraged to hand them in at any of our police stations with an enquiry office. These are:

📍Swindon Gablecross, Shrivenham Road, Swindon, SN3 4RB

📍Monkton Park, Chippenham, SN15 1ER

📍56 George Lane, Marlborough, SN8 4BY

📍Hampton Park West, Melksham, SN12 6QQ

📍Polebarn Road, Trowbridge, BA14 7EP

📍Bourne Hill, Salisbury, SP1 3UZ

You will be asked for your details, but you are not required to provide them, and you can remain anonymous.

Supt Conway Duncan said: “While Wiltshire has one of the lowest number of firearms offences per person in the country, we cannot be complacent about it, which is why we are fully supportive of this initiative.

“Many TVBFs may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be overlooked or forgotten in people’s homes. This amnesty gives holders the chance to dispose of their TVBFs safely by taking it to a local police station and handing it in.

“By taking part in this amnesty, TVBF owners are ensuring that these weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.

“I would encourage anyone who thinks they may have one of these firearms to check their homes and get them ready for disposal.

“You can continue to hand in any other unwanted, unlicensed firearms and ammunition at any time, avoiding the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and ensuring they are safely disposed of.”

To ensure safety when transporting your TVBF, please:

• Place the item in a bag or box to keep it out of public sight.
• Make a specific journey solely for this purpose to minimise the time spent in public.
• Upon arrival, inform the staff at the front counter that you are there to hand in a firearm before presenting it to them.