Amnesty for blank firers

GUNS ARE NOT cool. They are dangerous. They hurt people and often kill them. They don’t stop violence – the escalate it. Produce a gun you carry “to defend myself” and the only way to stop you is a bullet.

The only way to stop gun violence is to get the guns off the streets. That’s the main reason why there is an amnesty throughout February for “top-venting blank firers” (TVBFs), which can be modified to turn them into lethal weapons. Since 2021, over 800 TVBFs have been involved in criminal activities across the UK. These weapons have killed young people across the UK, including in London.

Sebastiaan James-Kraan, 20, was shot deal in Ealing last summer – with a modified TVBF. Three people have been charged in connection with the murder and their trial will take place in April.

Tyler McDermott, 17, was shot dead in Tottenham in 2023. Forensic analysis shows that a TVBF was fired at him. Last summer four people were found guilty of murdering him. The TVBF has not been found. It is still out on the streets.

Standard TVBFs can be bought in the UK without a licence, but it is illegal to buy or possess a “readily convertible” one. These include TVBFs made by four Turkish manufacturers: Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow.

TVBFs can be handed in at police stations until Friday, 28th February.
East London police stations which will take TVBFs under the amnesty:
Bethnal Green, Chingford, Ilford, Stoke Newington

Detective Superintendent Tim Mustoe from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said, “We are increasingly concerned about the risk posed by these weapons… The majority of TVBFs in circulations were bought lawfully by people with no ill intent. However we no know what can happen if they’re converted to do harm which is why it’s important that we recover as many as we can.” DS Mostoe confirmed the terms of the amnesty, explaining that anyone handing in a TVBF “will not face police action for possession of the gun at the point of surrender if they do so during the amnesty, but if they choose not to do so now and are found to have one of these guns at a laster date, then the consequences will be quite different.”

Assistant Chief Constabe Tim Metcalfe confirmed, “Stopping the sale of these top-venting bank firers from being converted will go a significant way to help protect the public.”

●If you know of someone who possesses, carries or sells firearms, act now – before they kill someone, or themselves. Ring the police on 101. Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555 111 and give information anonymously.

●Read more about it:
Teen murderer faces minimum of 29 years in jail
Teen guilty of killing Hackney teen