A VICTIM of gun crime has praised a national campaign urging people to surrender illegal weapons.

More than 570 guns and 7,526 rounds of ammunition were handed in to Wiltshire police following the month-long gun amnesty which ended on April 30.

Jason Delaney, 26, who is the manager of Alldays store, Pembroke Road, Melksham, had a pistol pointed at his head during an armed raid.

On January 20, a helmet-clad robber burst into the shop through an unlocked door just after 6am.

Mr Delaney was putting out the daily papers when the robber pulled out a pistol and forced him into the shop office, screaming at him to open the safe.

Mr Delaney said: "I wasn't too bothered about the raid but the firm was fantastic.

"They offered me counselling but I didn't feel I needed it. I returned to work the following day."

The raider was thwarted when Mr Delaney was unable to open either of the two safes. Forcing the shop manager to lie on the floor by pointing a pistol at his head the robber grabbed two bags of coins spilling cash as he tried to pour the money into a black holdall.

Mr Delaney said: "I wasn't sure if the weapon used was real or not and it could have been a lot worse. Getting guns off the street will hopefully stop something similar happening to other people.

"The gun amnesty is a good idea especially when towns like Trowbridge and Melk-sham are getting a bit rough."

Firearms dating back to World War One and a sub machine gun were among the weapons handed in at police stations across Wiltshire.

The bomb disposal squad was called into Trowbridge police station last week after an unexploded shell was brought in.

The 15lb shell was dropped off by a man who said it had been in his family for the past 30 years and had been used as a doorstop.

Chief Superintendent Julian Kirby was pleased that the weapons handed in were now out of circulation.

He said: "Every single weapon we take off the streets, whether lawfully held or not, is one less danger to the community as a whole.

"The wide range of weapons handed in illustrates what a serious problem firearms is, even in a small, peaceful county like Wiltshire."

The amnesty came ahead of tough new punishments for people caught in the possession of illegal weapons, who now face a minimum five-year prison sentence if convicted.