Prison shotgun police draw blank

The gun was found by schoolboys building a tree house

Police investigating the discovery of a shotgun, hidden in undergrowth near a high-security prison, say they have drawn a blank.

Three schoolboys found the gun in a bloodstained holdall close to Durham's Frankland Prison, home to some of the UK's most dangerous inmates, in August.

A spokesman for Durham Police said forensic tests had failed to provide any leads in the case.

The inquiry will be closed unless more information comes forward, he added.

The schoolboys found the shotgun, together with ammunition and two balaclavas, while building a tree house at woodland in the village of Brasside.

Police sealed off the area and sent the weapon away for analysis.

But on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Durham force said: "The Forensic Science Service carried out some tests on our behalf but these drew a blank.

"Therefore unless any new information comes to light the investigation has effectively gone as far as it can."

Several hundred residents live in Brasside, close to the high-security facility.

Among the prison's inmates are terrorists Hussain Osman and Dhiren Barot, both serving life sentences for Al-Qaida plots to attack UK targets, including London's transport network.