Owners of a certain type of blank firing guns are being urged to hand them in to police amid fears the weapons could be potentially lethal.

Police said the ban on a range of Turkish-made, top-venting blank firers (TVBF) had been introduced after it was found that some models could be easily modified to use live ammunition.

The affected pistols are made by the Retay, Ekol, Ceonic ISSC and Blow brands.

Imports into the UK of this type of gun ended last August following a change in classification which made them illegal, while local retailers were advised to cease trading the devices from October.

The amnesty ends on February 28, but until then individuals and organisations will be able to hand in their weapons during the amnesty period and not face prosecution.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it was “inviting any owners of these guns to surrender them at their local police station”.

Chief inspector Alexander Cooper said: “Gun crime in Devon and Cornwall is very low, but we remain proactive in keeping weapons off the streets. Members of the public in possession of this type of gun may not be aware that they are banned, hence the Firearms Amnesty, which will take place during February.

“We urge anyone who owns one of these to hand it in to their local police station. By seeking to remove this type of gun from our streets, we aim to continue to keep the public of Devon and Cornwall safe.

“Together with our partners we continually work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.”

For information about a local police station, visit dc.police.uk/peo, and for more information about gun law, visit Illegal firearms - National Crime Agency.