Hundreds surrender their unwanted air weapons

Kirkintilloch police office was one of three designated 
stations in the Glasgow 
division where people could 
surrender the weapons during a three-week amnesty.

Under changes to the law, owners face criminal charges if they do not have a licence for their weapons by December 31 this year.

The amnesty comes less than a month after a man was hit on the leg by a pellet from an air rifle as he walked his dog in Alloway Quadrant, Harestanes. The 25-year-old had to undergo surgery at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary.

Chief Inspector Craig Smith said: “This has been an excellent response with more than 600 weapons being 
surrendered in the Greater Glasgow area.”

Under the new legislation approved by Holyrood last June, anyone found guilty of the new offence could be fined or face up to two years in prison.

The Scottish government had pledged to introduce the licensing scheme following the death of Glasgow toddler Andrew Morton, who was killed by an airgun in 2005.

The two-year-old died 
after being hit on the head with an airgun pellet near his home in Glasgow.

More than 4,000 air 
weapons have been handed in over Scotland, including several hundred at Kirkintilloch.