Police offering weapons to museum

Weapons could be placed in bins set up at police stations

Historic weapons handed in to police during the recent knife amnesty are to be offered to a museum.

Cleveland Police took part in the initiative with forces across the UK, during which 928 weapons were given up.

Among them were a 19th Century French bayonet, World War I combat knife and an officer's ceremonial sword bearing Edward VII's logo.

Most of the weapons are being destroyed but some of them will be offered to the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Ch Insp Ciaron Irvine said the 928 weapons included some guns and almost half the knives were described as domestic.

He said: "Despite having a force-wide amnesty late last year which generated a large amount of weapons, it is still surprising what items are lying around people's homes.

"The majority we have collected have been destroyed - melted down at a local foundry but there are things which have an historical interest.

"We would never order their destruction without first offering them to the appropriate authorities."