Handover your weapons and you could get compensation as Cambridgeshire police join national scheme

Owners of weapons made illegal under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 are being encouraged to surrender them to police.

Weapons including, among others, rapid firing rifles, bump stocks, knuckledusters, flick knives and zombie knives, can be handed in under a government scheme launched this week.

People have until March 9 2021 to hand them over and they may be eligible for government compensation.

Details of the compensation scheme and a full list of qualifying weapons are available on the government website.

Superintendent Robin Sissons said: “Tackling serious street-based violence and ridding Cambridgeshire’s streets of weapons is a priority for the force.

“Weapons and crime often go hand in hand and I’m urging everybody who has any kind of weapon, which was previously lawful to own, to take advantage of the surrender and compensation on offer.

“I believe this is a real step in the right direction and will allow us to remove yet more dangerous weapons from our streets and keep the public safe.”

Supt Clare Smith, deputy head of criminal justice for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire said it’s important the public understands that these weapons, which were previously lawful to own privately, are now illegal and must be surrendered.

She added: “These are dangerous weapons and taking them out of private ownership will help keep communities safe and prevent them from falling into criminal hands.

“There will be people who own these weapons as trophy pieces with no intention of ever using them. The law still applies and the surrender campaign is an opportunity for them to hand in these weapons and potentially be compensated by the Government for their loss.”

To surrender a weapon email opbritney@herts.pnn.police.uk and the weapons surrender team will be in touch to arrange collection.

They will also send a compensation form, which must be fully completed and returned at the point of surrender in order to qualify for reimbursement from the government. Those unable to email are asked to call 101 and the weapons surrender team will call back.

For more on knife and gun crime and to report any concerns, visit the force's dedicated web page here: https://bit.ly/3qN0Bqj