Croydon is among the police stations around the capital which, from tomorrow, will be allowing people to hand in a certain type of blank gun as part of a month-long amnesty aimed at getting these potentially deadly weapons off the streets of London.
The guns, known as TVBFs, or “top-venting blank firers”, are made in Turkey, and in their original form they pose little risk. But an increasing number have been converted and have been used in serious violence. Anyone found to be in possession of one, after the amnesty, could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
According to stats from the Met, in four years more than 800 have been recovered being used in criminal activities across the country. Converted TVBFs have been linked to the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Sebastiaan James-Kraan in Ealing in June 2024 and the murder of 17-year-old Tyler McDermott in Tottenham in April 2023.
The Metropolitan Police has announced: “TVBFs can be handed in at police stations across London from Monday, February 3 until Friday February 28. This is part of a national amnesty taking place across the country.”
Bexleyheath, Bromley, Kingston and Brixton police stations, as well as Croydon, are among those taking part in the scheme.
“We are increasingly concerned about the risk posed by these weapons if they fall into the hands of criminals and those intent on causing serious violence on the streets of London,” said Detective Superintendent Tim Mustoe, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.
Increasing concern: DS Tim Mustoe
“We’ve already seen their lethal potential in at least two cases here in London. We know they’ve also been used in many other non-fatal incidents too.
“The majority of top venting blank firers in circulation were bought lawfully by people with no ill intent. However we now 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.
“I would urge anyone who has one of these weapons at home to do the responsible thing and hand it in at a police station. They 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 later date, then the consequences will be quite different.”
TVBFs are legal to buy in Britain without a licence, unless they are readily convertible.
Tests by the National Crime Agency and police forces show models produced by four Turkish manufacturers – Retay, Ekol, Ceonic and Blow – are readily convertible and are therefore illegal. Criminal gangs have been known to operate workshops specifically to convert legal TVBFs into deadly weapons.
One investigation recovered more than 400 converted weapons from a single crime group.
“During the amnesty period, those handing in a Turkish-manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details,” the Met says.
The weapons will be examined to determine if they’ve previously been used in serious violence or other criminality.
Anyone intending to hand in a TVBF as part of the amnesty is encouraged to check the opening times of the relevant station on the Met Police website. To receive advice on how best to transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station, phone 101 before travelling.
If you know of people involved in illegal firearms activity, you should call the police on 101 or report the information to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Amazing what we allow to be imported into this country