TWO former police officers who set themselves up as “quasi firearms dealers” were spared jail by a judge who criticised the “lax” gun licensing system of their force.

Maurice Allen, 48, and Damian Cobain, 42, were given suspended sentences by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court after they admitted misconduct in public office.

The judge was told how the pair were firearms licensing officers with Durham police, although both have now resigned.

Working separately, they would sell on guns surrendered by members of the public for a range of reasons, including during amnesties.

Kingsley Hyland, prosecuting, said the two men “set themselves up as quasi firearms dealers, treating such weapons as their own to do with as they pleased”.

Mr Hyland said the pair would liaise with their many contacts in the shooting community to pass on weapons, many of which had been due to be destroyed.

Allen was operating between 2003 and 2007, and Cobain between 2004 and 2008, the court heard.

But Judge David Hodson said he decided to suspend jail sentences after hearing the pair made only minimal financial gains and only sold guns to licensed members of the shooting community. He made it clear none of the guns had gone to criminals.

Judge Hodson also said he had to set the behaviour of the two officers in the context of a firearms licensing department in Durham Constabulary where procedures were “extremely lax, if not chaotic”

during the period the men were operating.

He said the two men took advantage of this situation, which he was told has now improved.

Sentencing Allen, a former firearms licensing officer in Derwentside who is from Houghton-le-Spring, the judge pointed to his many years of service of distinction and bravery on the policing front line.

But he said the former officer’s actions were made worse by his attempts to cover his tracks with forged documents.

He gave Allen a 51-week prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered him to observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am for six months.

Turning to Cobain, a former firearms licensing officer in East Durham who is from Sunderland, the judge said he had not tried to cover his tracks.

In fact, he said, Cobain had been open about many of his transactions, but this was not picked up by the force.

Cobain was given a 40-week sentence suspended for 18 months, and ordered to observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am for four months.

Judge Hodson said: “There’s no suggestion that any firearms with which you were involved whatsoever got into the hand of the criminal underworld. The firearms went to people who held appropriate firearms or shotgun certificates.

It can truly be said public safety has not been compromised by what you did.”

But the judge added: “The public rightly expect police officers doing this kind of work to be without reproach.”