After police recovered drugs, a knuckle duster and a handgun from a property in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, a man was charged with possession of a firearm, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and cocaine, and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place. Click on media link to read full report.

Police officers stopped a car in Southampton, Hampshire and recovered a knife and an air pistol from the vehicle. A man has since been charged with possession of a firearm in a public place, possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place, using a motor vehicle on a road or public place without third party insurance and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Brendan Thompson, aged 38 and from Shipley, West Yorkshire, has been jailed for five years for two counts of possession of a firearm and one count of possession of ammunition. In August 2019, Thompson’s partner revealed to police that he had adapted a blank firearm into a “proper shooter”. Officers subsequently recovered two converted pistols and ammunition in the cab of an HGV owned by someone Thompson knew. Thompson’s DNA was recovered from both firearms.

Bailey McIlroy, aged 19, has been jailed for three years after being found guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition. In August 2021, McIlroy dumped a converted blank-firing gun after being chased by police officers in Birmingham, West Midlands. He had obtained the weapon from a man jailed in August this year for the conversion and sale of firearms to criminals.

Chris Dixon 44, and Elliot Hopewell, 40, have been jailed for twenty-two years and fifteen years, five months, respectively, for their involvement in illegal firerarms trading. Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply prohibited weapons and drug offences, while Dixon also admitted selling or transferring a prohibited weapon. After decrypting the criminal messaging network, EncroChat, detectives recovered around 6,000 messages from Dixon’s phone that revealed sales of drugs and weapons, including a hand-grenade and an Uzi submachine gun. Other messages exposed Hopewell as assisting in the sale of a Colt special revolver for £7,500 to a person wanting it for criminal activity. Dixon was arrested in June 2023 after police officers raided his home in Kibblesworth, Tyne & Wear, while Hopewell was arrested the following month in Sheffield.

Louis Clarke, aged 19, has been jailed for life after being found guilty of attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. In November last year, Clarke, along with three other gang members, chased a young teenage boy into an underpass in Birmingham, West Midlands before Clarke shot him in the back with a slam gun (home-made shotgun). It is believed the victim was attacked because he had strayed onto the gang’s “turf”. The injured boy managed to call for help and armed police officers gave emergency first-aid before he was taken to hospital. He has been left paraplegic, having suffered damage to his spinal cord. The court heard that the other three assailants were forensically linked to a getaway car and that a handgun and a slam gun were retrieved from an address linked to one of them. They were jailed for life in October 2022. Following Clarke’s sentencing, a police spokesperson said, “The unprovoked and callous actions of all of these young men has changed the life of an innocent boy forever… Our primary focus is always to prevent these incidents from happening, but sadly we do continue to see gun violence on our streets. We need our communities to come together to help us in our fight against gun and gang-related crime.”

Eight windows of a sea cadet hut in Worcester, Worcestershire have been smashed with shot from a BB gun. Click on media link to read full report.

A cat has been put to sleep after being shot with a BB gun in Wickford, Essex. Pellets had penetrated his spine, leaving him paralysed. The incident has been reported to police.

Armed police officers fatally shot a man on the doorstep of his home in Dagenham, East London after he called emergency services to say he had loaded guns and wanted to take his own life. After a specialist negotiator failed to defuse the situation, the man confronted the officers on his doorstep. He was shot twice and died at the scene shortly afterwards. The victim’s wife reported that he had been suffering mental health issues and had been unable to find help. The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Armed police officers were deployed following reports that a man with a firearm had threatened another man on a street in Camborne, Cornwall. A handgun was found nearby and two men were later arrested in connection with the incident.