Police have seized a case from a nature reserve which contained a gun and ammunition.
A 38-year-old metal detectorist was out in Walbottle and Throckley Dene in the west end of Newcastle on Sunday when he came across a black case under a pile of leaves. On inspection, he found that the case held a suspected firearm and several rounds of ammunition.
Ashley, who declined to give his surname, said: "I go out metal detecting every day to keep myself busy. I was just going along and an iron signal came up on my metal detector, which I usually ignore, but I'd just found a really cool iron axe head so I decided to dig again.
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"As I was moving the soil, I saw a black case and as it opened, a gun fell out and loads of bullets, they were all over the place. I wasn't sure it was real at first, but when I saw all the ammunition, I realised that it was."
The detectorist immediately called the police but said he felt "worried" while he waited for them to arrive, so stored the gun and ammunition in his backpack. He continued: "There were families walking past and I was right next to the path, just imagine if people had seen me standing there with a gun!
"I called the police back and asked permission to put it inside my backpack to feel a bit safer and they said yes, so I did."
Ashley says that a forensics team were on the scene for hours and he was told that the gun is a .22 calibre. However, Northumbria Police did not disclose this information when contacted by the Chronicle.
He has now had backpack and metal detector returned and the gun is in the possession of Northumbria Police.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Shortly after 3.20pm on Sunday (November 6) we received a report that a suspected firearm had been discovered by a member of the public in the Hexham Road area of Newcastle.
"Officers attended the scene and the suspected firearm has been seized. Enquiries are ongoing into the discovery."
Have you ever found a weapon when out in the North East? Let us know!
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