A TWO-week gun amnesty is being launched across the Cleveland Police force area in a bid to firearms and ammunition off the streets.

The initiative is urging people to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to help avoid them getting into the wrong hands.

During the amnesty, people surrendering firearms will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and they can remain anonymous.

However, the history of each live weapon will be checked for evidence of its use in crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Nickless said: “We recognise that in Cleveland we have very few issues with gun crime, however, we have had instances whereby people have come into possession of a firearm unintentionally, for example, whilst clearing out a relatives’ home.

“Those people can bring the firearms to us so that they are disposed of in a safe manner without the fear of consequences for illegal possession of the weapon.”

The force believes that many firearms may be held in innocence and ignorance of their legality or may be overlooked or forgotten in people’s homes and the amnesty gives holders the chance to dispose of the firearm or ammunition safely by taking it to a local police station and handing it in.

Surrendering unwanted, unlicensed weapons avoids the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place.

Weapons and ammunition can be dropped off at any police station, but anyone handing in a firearm during the amnesty is advised to check the opening times of the station. Collection can be arranged but will not be available in all circumstances.

The amnesty runs from Saturday, November 1 to midnight on Sunday 16.

Anyone wanting advice on how to safely transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station can contact 101 before travelling.

People with information regarding illegal firearms activity can also call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

In 2012, a knife amnesty resulted in more than 250 bladed items being handed into police, including meat cleavers and Gurkha knives.

The initiative, by Redcar and Cleveland Police, ran throughout December in stations including Redcar, South Bank, Guisborough and Eston.

There had been several incidents over the years where someone living in the Redcar and Cleveland force area has been killed by someone wielding a knife, including Chris Cave, from Redcar, who was stabbed to death in June 2003 by Sean Matson, who had been on a drinks and drugs binge.