Police have been called to a hospital in Walsall after a 95-year-old woman was found to be hiding a gun in her handbag.
Officers seized the antique weapon, described as "a rusty handgun which was not loaded and not functional".
Staff at Walsall Manor Hospital discovered the gun eight days after the patient's admission, but said there was at no point any risk to other members of public or health workers.
A spokeswoman for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust told the Press Association that the patient "had her wits about her" and co-operated fully with police.
"It is trust policy to check all items on admission to the hospital," she said. "Unfortunately, it is believed the patient in question had the gun hidden in her handbag at the time these checks were carried out."
The patient, who has not been named, was spoken to by police but is not expected to face any further action over possession of the gun. West Midlands Police confirmed in a statement that officers were called to the hospital at 11.10am on Monday 5 October, and added that the woman's house had also been searched "to ensure her safety".
Additional reporting by agencies
