HUNDREDS of guns were surrendered to police as part of a crackdown on the amount of illegally owned firearms in Thames Valley.

A total of 21 firearms were handed into Bracknell police station including antiques, starter pistols, imitation firearms and BB guns.

The Firearms and Ammunition Surrender, launched on November 13, urged people to hand in any unwanted or illegal firearms to police, to be disposed of safely.

Chief inspector Emma Baillie, head of armed response for Thames Valley, said: “We would like to thank everyone who handed in any firearms or ammunition as part of this surrender.

“This means that there are fewer firearms and imitation firearms on our streets which could have easily fallen into the hands of criminals.

“As a result our neighbourhoods are much safer, both for our residents and for our officers who work every day and night to protect them.

"We are very pleased that so many people took the opportunity to take part in this initiative and the number of firearms recovered certainly proves how valuable such a surrender is."

During the campaign, those surrendering firearms did not face prosecution for the illegal possession upon surrender and can remain anonymous.

But police say that this was not an amnesty and if the weapons can be linked to a crime of any sort, the former owner can be investigated.

Now that the surrender is finished, if you find a firearm or are uncertain about the lawful possession of a firearm, call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.