A NATIONWIDE gun amnesty has been launched by police in a bid to recover “easily convertible” starting pistols predominately used at sports events.

All 43 police forces in England and Wales are holding the amnesty, which was launched today, with members of the public being asked to surrender Olympic .380 BBM guns.

The blank fire arm, which was available through registered firearms dealers and hobby stores, is a primary colour to indicate it is an imitation and does not require a licence.

But police say the revolvers can be easily converted to fire live rounds, making them a potential danger to the public.

The gun is now classed as as a prohibited weapon under the Firearms Act 1982 and Firearms Act 1968 - making them illegal to own.

Police are now appealing for owners of Olympic .380 BBM guns to hand over the firearms to their local police station between today and midnight on Friday, June 4, as part of a Association of Chief Police Officers drive.

Det Ch Insp Ray Howard from Thames Valley Police's Intelligence Bureau said: "While there are no recorded incidents involving the use of these firearms within the Thames Valley Police area there has been clear identification of them being used in other parts of the UK in a converted state to commit criminal activity.

“In the light of that information it is important to take these preventative measures to take as many of these out of circulation as possible in order to protect our communities from any potential misuse”.

Visit www.homeoffice.gov.uk or www.thamesvalley.police.uk for more information.