A shotgun has been seized from a man who claimed he like to collect police memorbilia.
The man was also in possession of a fake Metropolitan Police warrant card holder and said he had bought it online.
Earlier this month, officers from the North East Regional Specialist Operations Unit (NERSOU) were following up on a tip-off from a partner agency when they visited an address in Houghton-le-Spring alongside staff from Northumbria Police’s Firearms Licencing Department.
On arrival at the property, they quizzed a 48-year-old male about a fake warrant card holder but were told that it was bought online and the item was to form part of a special police memorabilia collection.
Following the visit, he volunteered his two shotguns and his firearms licence to the Northumbria Police Firearms Licencing department for review and the Force is currently reviewing his licence.
A spokesperson from the NERSOU Disruption Team said ‘By working with our partners, we can ensure a joined up approach to protecting our communities as part of Operation Sentinel, our multi-force approach to tackling serious and organised crime.
“Whilst the male spoken to about the fake warrant card claimed that he only wanted it for memorabilia reasons, anyone using a fake warrant card could find themselves under arrest for false representation and impersonating a police officer.
“If you know someone who uses a fake police warrant card as a form of identity, we would encourage you to report your concerns to the police or Crimestoppers and your information will be acted on.”
Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously. Please call 0800 555 111.
