
This is the terrifying collection of nearly 500 guns and 200,000 rounds of ammunition which was seized from a parish council chairman who collected firearms 'like stamps'.

Police revealed the full extent of their discovery at the home of crane operator James Arnold in Wyverstone, Suffolk. It is the biggest arsenal of illegal weapons ever found in the UK.

Three months after the discovery and the 49-year-old's arrest in April 2014, Arnold died of pancreatic cancer, meaning he could never face prosecution.

But as firearms dealer Anthony Buckland, 65, was jailed for at Norwich Crown Court for supplying some of the weapons, Suffolk Police opened up its armoury to journalists to highlight the massive scale of the find.

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This is the terrifying collection of nearly 500 guns and 200,000 rounds of ammunition which was seized from a respectable parish council chairman who collected firearms 'like stamps'

Ammunition on display at Suffolk Police headquarters which were part of the biggest hoard of illegal weapons ever unvcovered in the UK

Anthony Buckland, a firearms dealer, has been jailed for six years for suppling a small number of the weapons. Pictured is some of the 200,000 rounds of ammunition which was found at James Arnold's home

Police revealed the full extent of their discovery at the home of crane operator James Arnold in Wyverstone, Suffolk. It is the biggest arsenal of illegal weapons ever found in the UK

Three months after the discovery and the 49-year-old's arrest in April 2014, Arnold (right) died of pancreatic cancer, meaning he could never face prosecution

They revealed that, had the weapons fallen into the wrong hands, they would have been enough to arm nine coach-loads of terrorists.

Chief Superintendent David Skevington said: 'James Arnold never offered any explanation for what he did; he simply said he had come by the weapons years ago and kept them safe to stop them causing any harm.

'We have asked every question and followed every line of inquiry and have found no evidence of a criminal or terrorist motive.

'The best explanation to date is that he was a collector and a hoarder who collected these weapons in the way some people collect stamps.'

Officers were first called to Arnold's terraced home, which is down a single-track lane with only three other houses and a farm nearby, on April 13, 2014 to reports of a domestic violence incident.

They had planned to revoke his licence for 17 firearms to prevent them being used in a domestic attack but when they arrived they found other illegal weapons strewn on the living room floor.

Further investigation alerted them to the fact the internal layout of the house did not match its external footprint.

A search then uncovered a hidden room, accessed through a narrow tunnel hidden behind a false wall in his pantry.

Some of the guns found by Suffolk Police after they raided the home of parish council chairman James Arnold Wyverstone, Suffolk

The Uzi with bayonet found in James Arnold's home showing the side annex at the back of the house where the guns were found

The light anti-tank missile found at the back of James Arnold's home, where he had hidden his secret stash of illegal weapons

Officers were first called to Arnold's terraced home, which is down a single-track lane with only three other houses and a farm nearby, on April 13, 2014 to reports of a domestic violence incident. Pictured is a Calcio 9mm submachine gun

Suffolk Police's sergeant Ann Gregg witch some of the weapons and ammunition the force seized in Arnold's home

Firearms dealer Anthony Buckland, 65, was jailed for at Norwich Crown Court for supplying some of the weapons

Officers spent 27 days searching the house, working meticulously with bomb disposal experts to ensure the house was not booby-trapped.

The find is far larger than any other cache found in this country.

One of the previous largest hauls is believed to have been that of 31 rifles and machine pistols found along with 1,000 rounds of ammunition on a boat at Cuxton Marina on the River Medway in Kent in August 2015.

Arnold's house backs on to an eight-acre field which he also owned. Around this he constructed a huge wall from sleepers which police believe may have been a home-made firing range.

Officers spent 27 days searching the house, working meticulously with bomb disposal experts to ensure the house was not booby-trapped. Further investigation alerted them to the fact the internal layout of the house did not match its external footprint

Arnold was a member of several shooting clubs and had an interest in firearms since childhood. He had held a firearms certificate since 1984 and was known to shoot deer and vermin

Arnold's house backs on to an eight-acre field which he also owned. Around this he constructed a huge wall from sleepers which police believe may have been a home-made firing range

Pictured is an AK47 found in James Arnold's home after police raided the property of the former parish council chairman

As a condition of his licence, he was subject to regular pre-announced police checks but there had never been any cause for suspicion, which would prompt and unannounced visit, until 2014, Suffolk Police said

Pictured is a M16 similar to those used by the United States' army during jungles warfare operations during the Vietnam War

The guns found by Suffolk Police after they raided the home of James Arnold Wyverstone in Suffolk

Around 200,000 rounds of ammunition were found at the home of James Arnold. The secret stash was hidden away

Pictured is a Self Loading Rifle (SLR) which was found at the parish council chairman's home. It was one of 500 guns seized by police

Arnold was a member of several shooting clubs and had an interest in firearms since childhood. He had held a firearms certificate since 1984 and was known to shoot deer and vermin.

As a condition of his licence, he was subject to regular pre-announced police checks but there had never been any cause for suspicion, which would prompt and unannounced visit, until 2014, Suffolk Police said.

He lived at the house with his wife and daughter, who did not comment to journalists when visited recently.

Although he was chairman of the parish council at the time of the arrest and active in running the village hall, he was also described as a private man.

Suffolk Police Chief Superintendent Davis Skevington (left) and firearms dealer Anthony Buckland (right), who was jailed for at Norwich Crown Court for supplying some of the weapons

Further investigation alerted police to the fact the internal layout of the house did not match its external footprint. Pictured is some of the 200,000 rounds of ammunition which was found hidden in Arnold's home

The court has heard Buckland supplied 26 weapons to a man called JJ Hambrose, 16 of which were found at Arnold's home. The prosecution has claimed Hambrose was a fictitious character

The sawn-off Winchester pump action shotgun found in James Arnold's home after police raided his property

Detective Superintendent Steve Mattin said Arnold later offered a limited explanation for the collection when interviewed in prison. 'He seemed very set on the idea he was keeping people safe by looking after these weapons,' he added. Pictured is where one of the hidden safes (right) were found in a cupboard full of junk and guns (left)

One resident said: 'He was involved in lots of things and lots of people knew who he was.

'But at the same time, you never felt like you really knew him - he never revealed very much about himself.

'He seemed like a nice enough man but he was a collector of almost everything, he also had odd bits around his property.'

Experts from the National Ballistics Intelligence Service examined many of the weapons and could not find any link to known crimes.

As well as more modern military-style guns, many were described as museum pieces dating to the First and Second World Wars.

Arnold originally gave a no-comment interview to police.

Experts from the National Ballistics Intelligence Service examined many of the weapons and could not find any link to known crimes

As well as more modern military-style guns, many were described as museum pieces dating to the First and Second World Wars

Buckland said he had legally supplied Arnold with guns and ammunition but would never have supplied him with illegal firearms

Pictured is a Beretta 9mm. It is the official sidearm of the U.S. military and is the most tested and trusted personal defence pistol in history

Pictured is Thompson submachine gun found at Arnold's home. This type of weapon was heavily used by the IRA during The Troubles

The court has heard Buckland supplied 26 weapons to a man called JJ Hambrose, 16 of which were found at Arnold's home. The prosecution has claimed Hambrose was a fictitious character

Detective Superintendent Steve Mattin said Arnold later offered a limited explanation for the collection when interviewed in prison.

'He seemed very set on the idea he was keeping people safe by looking after these weapons,' he added.

'He certainly didn't see himself as a danger to others. But by the time we came across him, his life seemed to be deteriorating.

'Of course the fear was that they could fall into the wrong hands or, given that he had terminal cancer, something might change in his life and he would have access to hundreds of deadly weapons.'

Buckland told the court, during his trial in December, that he had known Arnold for more than 25 years.

He said he had legally supplied him with guns and ammunition but would never have supplied him with illegal firearms.

Asked if he ever suspected Arnold of doing anything illegal, he added: 'Good heavens, no.'

Asked about news coverage of the find, Buckland said he, like all people working in his industry, had been 'glued to the television' but had not been worried about his involvement.

'There is no link to me because I had never supplied Arnold with anything illegal,' he added. 'I didn't start to panic whatsoever.'

Pictured is a Calcio 9mm submachine gun. It was among one of the 500 guns seized by Suffolk Police at James Arnold's home

The Sterling gun found by police, similar to those used by the British Army in the Second World War and Northern Ireland

The court has heard Buckland supplied 26 weapons to a man called JJ Hambrose, 16 of which were found at Arnold's home. The prosecution has claimed Hambrose was a fictitious character.

Buckland insisted Hambrose was a genuine customer he had known since the 1980s. Police had contacted hundreds of other arms dealers who had no knowledge of Hambrose.