POLICE in Langbaurgh are praising a local man who handed over a sawn-off rifle unearthed by his dog.
The man was exercising his labrador in Kirkleatham Woods, near the Kirkleatham showground at Redcar, when the dog found the gun buried in the undergrowth.
The .22 rifle stock and barrel had been sawn off and will now be sent to a specialist ballistics laboratory in Cambridgeshire where tests should establish whether it has been used in any previous crime. The weapon will ultimately be destroyed.
The man, who did not want to be identified, has been praised by Det Insp Steve Richards, from Cleveland Police. He said:"It is an evil-looking weapon. Having had a close look at it, I am in no doubt that it would have been used in a violent crime if this public spirited gentleman and his dog, of course, hadn't brought it to our attention.
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