Fewer firearms crimes in county

Fewer firearms crimes were committed in Derbyshire in the past year compared to five years ago, police have said.

There were 18 incidents where air pistols or rifles were seized in 2007-08, compared to 43 in 2002-03.

The number of shotguns and other prohibited weapons seized fell from 26 five years ago, to 19 in 2007-08.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said tougher legislation and anti-gun campaigns had led to the decrease in figures.

In 2007-08, officers also dealt with almost half the number of incidents where replica or toy guns and knives were recovered, compared to 2002-03.

Police arrested 103 offenders in the past year, compared to 137 in 2002-03.