ILLEGAL guns and ammunition can be handed in at police stations in Oxfordshire for the next two weeks as forces across the UK try to remove firearms from the streets.

Police will also accept replica firearms, air weapons, BB guns, imitation firearms, antique guns, component parts and other ballistic items as part of the surrender, which runs until November 26.

It is part of an initiative run by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service.

Chief Insp Emma Baillie, Armed Response head for the Joint Operations Unit for Hampshire and Thames Valley, said: "This is your chance to safely dispose of any guns or ammunition you no longer want but don't know what to do with.

"Surrender them now and we can dispose of them safely, making sure that they do not fall into the hands of criminals."

She added: "While crimes involving firearms in the Thames Valley region are rare, we know that every firearm poses a potential threat if they are not licensed and stored safely.

During the campaign, those surrendering firearms will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and can remain anonymous.

However, this is not an amnesty and if further examination of a surrendered firearm reveals a link to a crime, this will be investigated.

Anyone who is unsure about an item can call 101 to get advice.

During a knife amnesty in July police in Oxfordshire collected 47 knives, ranging from carving knives to meat cleavers, including 16 from within Oxford.

A full list of stations is available on the Thames Valley Police website.