Cops' war on fake guns continues

POLICE in Greater Manchester are warning they will crackdown on the possession of imitation and air guns, after a month-long amnesty comes to an end Sunday night.

GMP launched the amnesty - their first aimed directly at replica firearms - on March 3. And when it comes to an end at midnight tonight they say they will prosecute anyone who is found with one of them in their possession.

Since October the sale, manufacture and import of realistic imitation firearms has been banned under the Violent Crime Reduction Act.
And that now means that any toys or collectables that resemble guns so closely that they can only be told apart from the real thing by an expert - or by an attempt to load and fire it - are banned from sale.

Although it is not illegal to own a realistic imitation firearm, carrying them in a public place without authority is illegal and could lead to a six month prison sentence.

Does this seem stupid to anyone else? I am not sure why I would ever carry a fake gun. I am guessing that a decent wood shop and a some black paint would allow to manufacture disposable fake guns for the robbery-by-bluffing criminals. That there is an amnesty for fake guns (which are apparently legal to own) is just retarded.

There was a time when these guys had an empire that spanned the globe too.