Following reports of a firearm at a property in Norton-le-moors, Staffordshire, armed police officers recovered a double-barrelled shotgun and a machete. A woman and a teenage boy were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate, while a man was detained for having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence. A second man was arrested for racially/religiously aggravated harassment and obstructing/resisting a constable in the execution of their duty, while a third man was held for burglary.

Police officers from a task force tackling antisocial and criminal use of motorbikes responded to reports of two people acting suspiciously on a motorcycle in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Following a search, the officers recovered a firearm and arrested a man and a pre-teen boy for possession of a firearm without a licence, while the man was further arrested on suspicion of theft of a motorcycle.

A man allegedly fired an imitation gun at two Jewish youths on a street in Hendon, North London. After the suspect was arrested for possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, officers recovered two hand grenades, a suspected blank-firing gun and other potential firearms from his home. The victims, who fled to a nearby synagogue when attacked, were not injured. A spokesperson from the Jewish Security Service (CST) said, “At present, there is no indication from police of antisemitism. There is nothing to suggest any further threat to Jews or wider public.”

Kane Pollard has been jailed for six years and four months after pleading guilty to possession of a prohibited smooth-bore gun, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate, possession of a controlled drug of Class B, possession of criminal property, being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of Class B and two charges of possession of a prohibited weapon. In February 2023, police officers recovered an air cartridge revolver, a double-barrelled 16-bore shotgun and a self-loading 12-bore shotgun that had been buried in an area of woodland in Southampton, Hampshire. After DNA analysis linked Pollard to the finds, officers seized shotgun cartridges, £4,280 in cash, a stun gun disguised as a torch, drug paraphernalia, a meat cleaver, knuckle dusters, nunchucks, a rusted knife, a machete, iphones and cannabis from his home.

After a property and a vehicle were damaged by gunshot in a suspected targeted attack on a residential street in Edlington, South Yorkshire, police officers arrested two men on suspicion of firearm offences. A police spokesman later said, “The danger a firearms discharge poses to innocent members of the community cannot be overlooked.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is to investigate an incident during which a teenage boy was rammed off his bike and surrounded by armed police officers after his water pistol was mistaken for a gun. In July 2023, the boy was having a water fight with his siblings in Hackney, North London when a patrol officer reported a potential firearms incident. A police van knocked the boy off his bicycle before armed officers pointed their weapons at him and arrested him on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm. The boy, who is black, was de-arrested shortly afterwards. An internal investigation by the Metropolitan Police found no misconduct had been committed by the officers involved, while a complaint accusing them of racial bias is still being investigated by the Met's Directorate for Professional Standards. After the boy’s mother raised concerns, the IOPC pledged to launch an independent inquiry.

Following reports of a neighbour dispute on a street in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, a police officer tasered a teenage boy before arresting him for assaulting a police officer. The officer has since been suspended from frontline duties and the incident has been referred to the independent Office for Police Conduct.

Two cats were seriously injured after being shot with an air weapon in separate incidents on the same street in Lancing, West Sussex. One cat had a pellet removed from his leg, while the other has been left with a pellet lodged between his heart and lungs. Police have appealed for information.

Steele Jagger, aged 65, has been jailed for three years after admitting possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and threats to kill. In August 2023, Jagger pointed what looked like a pistol at a neighbour’s home in Sacriston, Co. Durham. The house was occupied by members of a family, including children, who filmed Jagger’s actions and alerted police. Previously, Jagger had smashed the neighbours’ windows and left flowers on the pavement outside the property, saying they were “to mark the death”. Jagger’s partner also called police to report his behaviour and his threat to “kill him next door”. The court heard that Jagger suffers from PTSD and had been drinking on the day of the gun incident. The judge also imposed a 20-year restraining order preventing Jagger from contacting his victims or living near them.

Aaron Maddison, aged 31, has been jailed for nine years and seven months after admitting possession of a shotgun when prohibited and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and being found guilty of an unrelated charge of robbery. In November 2022, Maddison fired a shotgun at a house in Trimdon, Co.Durham, smashing the living room window. The house was occupied by a woman and her child at the time of the shooting. Maddison was identified through CCTV footage.