Five shotguns were stolen from a home in Darlington during a break-in, and police have launched an appeal over fears the weapons could fall into the wrong hands. Officers said the guns, along with live ammunition, were taken from a property on Pateley Moor Crescent at around 4am on Tuesday.
In total, five shotguns, two bolt action rifles, and live shotgun ammunition were stolen. A silver Nissan Navara was also taken from the property, but has since been found and recovered by police.
Locked safe broken into
Det Insp Clare Lambert, from Durham Constabulary's Darlington CID, said: “The guns were all lawfully held, licensed, and stored inside a locked gun safe, which had been broken into and all the guns removed. Enquiries are currently ongoing to trace the offenders, and we are actively pursuing a number of leads in an attempt to apprehend those responsible and recover the stolen items.”
Police appeal for information
Lambert added: “We are concerned about the potential risks posed by these firearms falling into the wrong hands, and are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward. If you are offered any of these items, or you have any other information about their whereabouts which can help our investigation, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 348 of November 3. Information can also be passed on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
