An amnesty is being held for illegal firearms which can be converted into deadly weapons.

The amnesty, supported by Hampshire Constabulary, urges people with Turkish-manufactured top-venting blank firers (TVBFs) to hand them in, and will run from February 3 to February 28.

It is intended to give people a chance to hand in weapons without facing prosecution.

After this period, possession of these firearms could lead to prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment.

Tests by the National Crime Agency and policing, funded by the Home Office, showed that models produced by four Turkish manufacturers are easily convertible to lethal firearms.

The Turkish brands identified are Retay, Ekol, Ceonic, and Blow.

In their original state, TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges.

However, they can be readily converted using common household tools without specialist skill.

Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 800 of the guns in criminal circumstances, and converted blank firers have been used in at least four homicides in the UK in the last two years.

Chief Inspector Hayley O’Grady, operation lead for Hampshire Constabulary, said: "Gun crime in Hampshire and Isle of Wight remains very rare, but we are not complacent, which is why we are supporting the Turkish top-venting firearms amnesty.

"Surrendering top-venting blank firers manufactured by Blow, Ceonic, Ekol, and Retay now will help prevent them getting into the wrong hands in the future and being used by criminals."

The firearms can be handed in at the front counters of the Police Investigation Centres in Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Southampton, as well as at the police station in Newport.

During the amnesty period, those handing in a Turkish-manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details.

But the history of the weapon will be checked for evidence of its use in crime.