Gun crime has increased by 4% in one year with more than 9,700 crimes involving firearms taking place in the UK.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that in the year ending March 2019 a total of 9,787 crimes involving guns took place.

Over the past five years, offences involving a firearm have also increased by 27%.

According to the stats, by March 2019 a total of 33 people died as result of gun crime - three more than the previous year.

'Sam', a drug smuggler, claims to illegally import weapons from Belgium into the UK

The majority of victims involved in the crimes were also in younger age groups, with 56% aged between 15 and 34.


Offences involving firearms were disproportionately concentrated in urban areas, with nearly six in 10 offences recorded in five metropolitan police force areas - Metropolitan Police, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

ONS collated the statistics from police forces in England and Wales on the number of recorded offences that involved a firearm.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

It comes as figures obtained by Sky News show the number of firearms seized by the National Crime Agency have quadrupled in the last three years.

The NCA is lobbying for greater gun controls in Europe after noting an alarming increase in firearms on UK streets.

In 2017/18 the agency confiscated 104 guns but that rose to 168 in 2018/19.

Over the past 10 months, 425 guns have been seized.

Sky's home editor Jason Farrell told Kay Burley @ Breakfast: "What the National Crime Agency tells us is that this kind of smuggling is on the increase.

"There have been more seizures than they believe to be guns on the streets. The figures show in the last three years it's quadrupled."

Kit Malthouse, Minister for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service, said: "We are taking action to make our streets safer and protect people from violence in their homes.



"We are recruiting 20,000 new police officers, giving them more powers to take dangerous weapons off our streets and ensuring serious violent and sexual offenders spend longer behind bars.



"But these figures are a stark reminder of the devastating impact of domestic abuse and our Domestic Abuse Bill will establish greater protections for victims and ensure perpetrators feel the full weight of the law."