Campaigners have warned that almost a dozen guns and more than 1000 bullets lost or stolen from Ministry of Defence bases could be used to commit crime.

It comes after a Freedom of Information request made by Sky News revealed that 11 rifles, 42 "explosive munitions" and 1,153 rounds of ammunition have gone missing in the last year.

A spokesperson for the Gun Control Network, which lobbies for tighter controls on firearms in the UK, said: "We note from time to time weapons are reported 'lost' on training manoeuvres in the UK. I cannot recall ever seeing a report of the military recovering their lost weapons.

"(They) go on to be sold, illegally imported, used in crime or hoarded by 'gun enthusiasts' in collections kept in homes, garages, stores and outbuildings."

Thefts include eight rifles and 1,000 rounds of ammunition taken in one burglary from a Merseyside army cadet facility.


In a separate incident, two rifles were stolen from a Reserve Centre's permanent display.

Another rifle was lost in deep water during a training exercise in Wales.

It appears that most, if not all, of these weapons are still missing.

The data covers the 12 months from 26 September 2018 to 30 September 2019.

It also revealed an assortment of other items which have been stolen from the armed forces.

These include over £1,000 in cash, body armour, a quad bike, vehicle loading ramps, vehicle batteries, a clarinet, ear plugs, a camera and a mountain bike.

Stolen military targets were being sold on eBay.

None of these were recovered afterwards - although the Ministry of Defence (MoD) managed to track down motorcycle clothing and equipment which had been stolen.

A total of 30 computers, 210 laptops and 80 USB sticks belonging to the MoD were also stolen between October 2018 and September 2019.

Some of these losses could be due to accounting errors, the MoD said in a statement.

Military weapons and hi-tech kit have previously ended up on the internet, prompting fears the items could end up in the hands of criminal gangs.

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The MoD says ammunition is most often lost during exercises or on operations.

A spokesperson said: "We take security extremely seriously and have robust procedures to deter and prevent losses and thefts, as well as precautions to ensure devices cannot be accessed by unauthorised parties.

"We have large numbers of devices right across the world, and whilst it is impossible to stop all losses, all incidents are recorded so lessons can be learnt and disciplinary action or prosecution taken when necessary."

Last month, a former policeman and army corporal was jailed for three years for stealing rifles from a history collection at an army base.

Peter Laidler, 72, from Oxfordshire, stole thousands of pounds worth of weaponry from the Small Arms School Collection in Warminster, Wiltshire.