POLICE have hailed the national gun amnesty as a huge success, but warned they could not guarantee protection for anyone handing weapons in after last night's deadline.

The amnesty, which ended at midnight, has seen hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition handed in to police stations across the region.

Forces in North Yorkshire and the North-East have said they are pleased with the response from the public and were yesterday tallying up final totals.

Police have refuted criticism that many of the weapons handed in are of the "garden shed" variety and that the amnesty fails to tackle the growing use of guns in drugs-related crimes.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police, which up until the final week of the amnesty had collected 336 weapons and 2,126 rounds of ammunition, said that a number of known criminals were among those handing items in.

George Oliver, a spokesman for Durham Constabulary, said: "We know that souvenir weapons of the sort kept in homes have fallen into the hands of criminals and been used in some cases to commit offences.

"Any weapons that can be taken out of circulation is good news for everybody."

Mr Oliver cited the case of drugs dealer Derek Gallagher, who was shot outside his Sacriston home five years ago with a suspected Second World War souvenir pistol.

He said that illegally held weapons handed in after the end of the amnesty would each be treated on their own merits, but police could not guarantee immunity from prosecution.

Durham police has so far seen more than 150 shotguns, rifles and other firearms handed in together with a further 150 types of other weapons including CS gas canisters and crossbows.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said a steady flow of weapons and ammunition had been handed in over the past month, but a final tally was not yet known.

Cleveland Police said that almost 200 weapons and more than 3,500 rounds of ammunition had been surrendered.

Inspector Harry Simpson, who co-ordinated the operation, said the force was pleased with the response.

He said: "The majority have proved to be old air weapons, but they are still lethal in the wrong hands.

"Some of the guns are old, some are imitations and others have been deactivated, but it is still surprising what people have had lying around their homes."

A number of weapons have proved so unusual that they will be examined by experts from the National Museum Service.

Force armourer PC Dave Bew said: "We certainly have had a mixed bag. It ranges from air rifles and pistols to CS and smoke canisters, crossbows, a Winchester rifle, shotguns, revolvers and black powder weapons."