Man who pulled gun from his trousers in the street 'found it in a skip'

A man who pulled a gun from his trousers claims he found it in a skip and decided to keep it.

Armed police were called to the scene in Huyton when Michal Koper was seen producing the “flintlock type musket” from his waistband. The gun, which is believed to be about 200 years old, was dropped to the ground when he was handcuffed by officers.

The 39-year-old told Liverpool Crown Court he found the weapon in a skip and had kept it as “a curiosity”. The jury chose to accept this explanation and, on Wednesday, gave him the benefit of the doubt.