Mass surrender of firearms

Police Begin Collecting Banned Handguns

Police forces around the country are contacting gun owners individually to arrange dates and places for the guns to be handed over. Some police forces have taken on extra staff to help with the collection and disposal of the guns, which will eventually be smelted down.

Compensation is being offered at a flat rate of £150 per gun. Owners can get an independent valuation of up to £775 for more expensive weapons. A spokesman for a pro-gun group, Mike Yardley of the Sportsman's Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, said many owners were confused and embittered about the ban. He said many feared they would not be adequately compensated.

The clampdown was prompted by the massacre of sixteen small children and their teacher at Dunblane in Scotland in March last year. The Scottish Secretary, Donald Dewar, says the change in the law will "drastically" cut the number of handguns in circulation.

Smaller calibre .22 handguns are also likely to be banned under a bill put forward by the new Labour administration, and which is currently going through parliament. It was given a second reading without a vote in the House of Lords on Monday.

The Government hopes owners of the estimated 40,000 low-calibre handguns will not wait for this bill to become law, but will surrender all their handguns at the same time.