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POLICE Scotland has hailed the public response to its Air Weapon Surrender Campaign , welcoming the large number of weapons handed in in the first week.

Displaying several of the weapons before their destruction - some of which cost in excess of £400 - Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said that 2,301 guns had been handed in across the 72 designated stations across the country.

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He said: "This is a fantastic start to the three week campaign. It's great to see so many weapons being handed in and I'd like to thank responsible members of the public for surrendering them.

"Remember there is still two weeks left to run and I'd like to appeal to anyone who possesses an air weapon and doesn't intend licensing it to hand it in to one of the designated 72 stations across Scotland.

"You can find out all you need to know about the surrender campaign on our website."

(Image: David Cheskin/PA Wire)

The campaign, which will run until June 12, has been offered to air gun owners to avoid a new licencing law which comes into force on December 31.

All air guns will need to be licensed, with owners paying a fee, which is expected to be less than the £79.50 shotgun licence fee.

After December 31, any person caught owning an air gun without a licence will face a fee or up to two years imprisonment. Owners can apply for a licence from Police Scotland from July 1.

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Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: "I had the opportunity to meet with Police Scotland staff last week and see some of the weapons that have been taken off our streets. It is extremely encouraging to know that so many air weapons have been handed in by people who do not plan to have a licence when the new law comes into force at the end of the year.

“I would encourage anybody with an air weapon to stay on the right side of the law by handing them in during the surrender process or, if they wish to keep them, making sure they apply from 1 July 2016 for the right to own an air weapon.”

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Further details on the surrender campaign and process together with information surrounding the forthcoming application process can be found on the Police Scotland and Scottish Government websites.