Look inside the Adver's 'Lethal Weapons' picture archive

Written on the box’s spine in black and red felt tip are three words: CRIME: LETHAL WEAPONS.

Inside it is picture after picture of coppers holding everything from rocket launchers and assault rifles to murder weapons.

Many of the images were taken by Adver photographers at weapon amnesties decades apart. Police officers in faded uniforms look out from among a sea of guns or knives.

The box in the Adver's picture archive

‘This survived Dunkirk with me’

In 1988, almost 900 weapons were handed in during a month-long amnesty.

They included a gun handed in with the label “this survived Dunkirk and D Day with me”, guns made to look like walking sticks and a 5ft German anti-tank gun used in the First World War. A machine gun was also among the haul.

Insp Stevenson with a Mauser Picture: COLIN KEARLEY

Insp Bernie Stevenson told the Adver at the time that the amnesty – perhaps unsurprisingly - had exceeded all expectations.

He praised the public-spiritedness of pensioners who had decided to hand in wartime souvenirs. “There has been a great deal of selflessness by people who feel that in the present violent times they want to part with them.”

As well as the firearms, 31,000 rounds of ammunition were given to the police.

Some of the rarer items were offered to museums, while the remainder were to be sent to a Midlands smelting works.

The amnesty came a year after the deadly Hungerford Massacre.

11,000 rounds of ammo

Eight years later, in 1996, the Adver spoke to firearms instructor Insp Peter Bowerbank after Wiltshire Police scored a similarly impressive haul of firearms in a June amnesty.

In less than 30 days the force collected 370 guns and 11,000 rounds of ammunition.

Among the items handed in to police were an AK47 assault rifle and a Purdey shotgun that – new – would have cost £10,000.

Insp Bowerbank holds an AK47 in his left hand 

Insp Bowerbank said: “It is difficult to say where these weapons came from because the amnesty didn’t involve asking people questions.”

The following year, in October 1997, the Adver’s sister paper the Gazette and Herald photographed Ch Insp Martyn Meeks with guns brought in during another amnesty.

Ch Insp Meeks with some of the guns brought in

‘It won’t be tolerated’

During the month in 2006 when 200 knives were handed in to Wiltshire Police, officers dealt with five knife-related incidents.

But Supt Richard Rowland reassured Adver readers: “The chance of becoming a victim of knife crime in Swindon remains low.”

He added: “I must stress that we are not complacent by any means and do not ever minimise the importance of violent crime to the victim or underestimate the impact of the fear of crime.

PC Chris Skey at Gablecross police station in 2006 Picture: JENNIFER BURTON

"In just four weeks we have had more than 200 bladed articles handed in. This is an encouraging figure.

"Every weapon handed in means there is less risk of it being used to commit crime. I want to send a message that carrying a knife is illegal and will not be tolerated."

On this occasion it was PC Chris Skey who posed for the deadly weapons at Gablecross police station.

The amnesty reported on the Swindon Star front page Picture: NEWSQUEST

Swords and hunting knives

These were the striking pictures taken by Adver photographer Dave Cox in 2018 after another knife amnesty in Swindon.

Sgt Dave Tippetts Picture: DAVE COX

More than 70 weapons were handed in at the enquiries desk at Gablecross police station.

Sgt Dave Tippetts, the stony-faced officer in the photographs, said: “I’ve not been surprised by the number, but I have been at some of the weapons. I was expecting to get some kitchen knives handed in for sure, but I think we’ve had half a dozen swords handed in as well as some extremely large hunting-style knives.”

Sgt Dave Tippetts Picture: DAVE COX