APRIL'S firearms amnesty called to combat the growing menace of gun crime has been hailed as a great success by Hertfordshire Police.

More than four times as many weapons were handed in at police stations across the county as during an amnesty in 1996 and police are now sorting through six van-loads weighing about one-and-a-half tonnes.

The 682 guns include deadly firearms and convincing imitations and range from Napoleonic muskets to sub-machine guns and pump action shotguns.

Superintendent Steve Hughes said: "Some of them may be old, but you can still hold up a post office with them.

"It makes them no less dangerous or effective for committing crime.

"I wouldn't argue with any of them.

"Some of these things are absolutely fearsome to look at they would frighten someone out of their wits.

"My view is that the amnesty has been a huge success.

"It has taken away the opportunity for them to fall into the wrong hands.

"People have now had the opportunity to give in their weapons. If there are now people holding firearms unlawfully, we would like to know about them.

"We will have to take steps to recover them by enforcement."

The haul includes 14,504 rounds of ammunition of various calibres and 110 other weapons, including knives, bayonets and two grenades.

More than half of all the items were surrendered in the last week of the amnesty.

About a quarter of the firearms were prohibited 139 handguns, 18 rifles and 20 sawn-off shotguns while the others may have been held under licence.

Although they were accepted with no questions asked, some may be sent for forensic analysis, and if linked to particular crimes police hope to be able to trace which station they were handed in at.

The oldest weapons will be examined by an expert and may go to the British Museum if they have historical interest, but the rest will be destroyed.

May 6, 2003 15:00