A man has been arrested after brandishing a imitation handgun during a heated dispute with his neighbour on a residential street in Wakefield.
Officers were called to Lincoln Street following reports that a firearm had been displayed during an altercation between residents on Thursday, November 14.
West Yorkshire Police attended the scene and, following their investigation, recovered an imitation handgun from the property.
A 38-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of firearms offences, where he remained overnight.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed a man had been arrested
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A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “All reports of firearms offending are treated with the utmost seriousness by officers and enquiries remain ongoing into the matter by Wakefield CID.”
The force later revealed that the man was released on bail pending further enquiries.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over gun crime in the UK, with the Metropolitan Police seizing approximately one firearm from the capital’s streets every day.
Recent ONS figures revealed a concerning rise in overall gun crime in London, with offences increasing from 1,009 in the year ending December 2022 to 1,208 in the following year.
Commander Paul Brogden of the Metropolitan Police said that over half of shootings in the capital involve gangs or organised crime.
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“The likelihood of being a victim of gun crime in London is very low, but we do see wholly innocent victims who are caught in the cross fire,” Cdr Brogden said.
Police say criminals are increasingly turning to converted weapons, with 46 per cent of the 386 firearms recovered in London last year being guns originally designed to fire blanks.
Det Supt Victoria Sullivan highlighted how criminals often target vulnerable people to store weapons, noting: “They pick vulnerable people within our communities and they take even more advantage of them.”
Despite improved detection rates, almost half of firearms crimes last year did not lead to prosecution. Det Supt Tim Mustoe explained that investigations are often hampered when injured gang members refuse to cooperate with police, stating: “Fear and a lack of trust can be barriers for people to engage with us.”
In Merseyside, police have launched Operation Prospect, a new initiative aimed at educating over 3,000 young people about knife and gun crime.
The project, developed by Merseyside Police’s Safer Schools Co-ordinator Faye Smith and Matrix Firearms Officer Robert Ingleby, uses videos, roleplay and interactive content to highlight the dangers of carrying weapons.
“It’s important we break down the stigma and encourage open and honest discussions about knife and gun crime,” said Safer Schools Co-ordinator Faye Smith.
Matrix Firearms Officer Robert Ingleby added: “While gun and knife crime are not issues which solely affect young people, it’s vital that we drive early intervention and education.”