REGISTERED firearm and shotgun holders in Wiltshire - who number 17,000 - are being warned by police to make sure their weapons are kept securely.

Members of the Firearms Licensing Team and Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT’s) will begin carrying out home visits on the county's registered firearms and shotgun certificate holders later this week, as part of a national firearms safety initiative.

Certificate holders who are not complying with security measures could face having their certificates revoked.

More than 3,000 licensed firearms and shotguns have been reported as lost or stolen nationally, over the last five years.

This has led to an addition to the Home Office guidance that supports the police in making unannounced visits where there are concerns about security and risk.

National Policing Lead for Firearms and Explosives Licensing, Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “Our aim is not to catch out gun owners, which is why we are giving notice that these visits will be taking place.

"We want to work with the shooting community to ensure gun owners are aware of how to keep their firearms secure and where appropriate, give advice to individual owners."

Ch Con Andy Marsh continued: “A lost or stolen firearm could end up in the hands of criminals who would pose a clear threat to the public. We want to remind gun owners to check their security measures are up to scratch so that they are not inadvertently putting people at risk.”

Crimestoppers has also launched a dedicated phone line to encourage members of the shooting community and the general public to report any concerns about legally held firearms.

Mary Kerr , manager of the Wiltshire Police Firearms and Explosives Licensing Department, said: “The vast majority of firearm owners throughout Wiltshire fully engage with us and are aware of their responsibilities for ensuring the safe storage of their weapons. However, with close to 17,000 firearm and shotgun certificate holders across the county it’s important that we continue with this proactive and effective engagement to ensure their weapons remain safe and secure."

Wiltshire has 3,420 registered firearms certificate holders and 13,500 registered shotgun certificate holders. In total there are 41,241 registered weapons in the county.