A bricklayer caught with an imitation revolver in his van has been jailed for five years.

David Wood, of Cherbourg Crescent, Chatham, was sentenced to the minimum term set down by Parliament as a judge warned of the dangers of the "proliferation of guns in our community".

But family and friends sitting in the public gallery at Maidstone Crown Court sobbed as they branded the sentence "unfair".

Wood’s defence counsel, Tom Allen, had himself said it was a tragedy the 45-year-old father should be subject to such a "draconian" punishment.

But Judge Michael Carroll explained that, despite careful consideration, he could not find any exceptional circumstances that would enable him to impose anything less than five years.

He said: "It had been in your possession for some little time and was being transported, but not for the purpose of crime.

"However, the proliferation of guns in our community has to be discouraged at any stage and even the transporting of a gun can lead to it falling into the wrong hands and being used in crime."

Wood admitted possessing a prohibited weapon between November 2009 and June last year.

The court heard the six-chamber revolver was in poor condition, but capable of being fired.

Wood denied possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and this was accepted by the prosecution. The charge was left on file.

Prosecutor Sunil Rupasinha told the court Wood was stopped by police in Rochester as he drove his girlfriend and her 13-year-old daughter to his mother’s home in June last year.

They had been tipped off that Wood had a gun and it was found together with two tins of blank rounds under the rear of the driver’s seat.

Mr Allen, defending, said the gun was only designed to fire blanks and there had never been an attempt to either convert it or use it.

"The defendant was given it by a friend who died not long after that," he explained. "Wood had no real appreciation that its possession would amount to an offence of such gravity and the sentence attached to it."

The court heard Wood has no similar previous convictions or ones for violence.

"He has worked hard and tried to do the best by his family for his whole life," said Mr Allen. "It is a tragedy that he should be subject to such a draconian penalty."

Wood will serve half his sentence.