GUNS dating back to the First World War were among the weapons handed in throughout Wiltshire during the National Firearms Amnesty.

The month-long amnesty finished on April 30 and a total 574 guns were handed in, which included 41 prohibited guns. A total of 7,522 rounds of ammunition was handed in.

In the Swindon police division 31 non-prohibited weapons were handed in along with four prohibited guns and 451 rounds of ammunition.

In the Melksham division which covers north Wiltshire 128 non-prohibited guns were handed in along with four prohibited guns and 1,079 rounds of ammunition.

In the Salisbury division, which includes Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey, 87 non-prohibited guns were handed in along with 13 prohibited and 2,213 rounds of ammunition.

The number of weapons was not as many as the previous firearms amnesty following the Dunblane tragedy but Chief Superintendent Julian Kirby was pleased that the weapons handed in were now out of circulation.

He said: "Every single weapon we take off the streets, whether lawfully held or not, is one less danger to the community as a whole.

"The wide range of weapons handed in illustrates what a serious problem firearms is, even in a small, peaceful county like Wiltshire.

"If criminals had got hold of these weapons through a burglary or theft that is when they become a danger so we are pleased that law abiding people have brought them in to us. Of the weapons handed in only a small proportion are unlawful and some of them are toys but until you pick the weapon up to study it you don't know if it fires blanks or if it is real That poses difficulties to police officers in their everyday duties."

Handguns were banned after the Dunblane tragedy.

Some of those handed in included a Luger, a German officer's gun from World War Two, and a standard Browning British military firearm.

A standard .22 rifle had had features added to it so it became a replica AK47.

Shells from the Second World War were also handed in, although a family in Trowbridge who handed in a 15lb shell they had used as a door stop for over 30 years were shocked to discover that it was in fact still live.

An Army bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the 80 millimetre shell in fields in Trowbridge.

Nick Snow, a firearms instructor with Wiltshire Constabulary, said: "A lot of the firearms handed in are in very good condition and have hardly been used.

"Criminals will often use blank fire weapons in robberies and the public don't know that they are replica guns."

All the weapons and ammunition will now be destroyed.