HOMES in a number of towns in the county have been searched by Kent Police for illegal weapons bought via the internet.

Members of Kent Police’s tactical operations unit swooped on addresses in Ramsgate, Tonbridge, Folkestone, Lydd, Whitstable, and Westgate, near Margate.

Weapons recovered included stun guns, blank firing imitation weapons which can be easily converted into live weapons, plus ammunition and CS spray canisters. At least one person, a man from Thanet, has been arrested.

The arrest warrants were executed following information received by Kent Police from the National Crime Intelligence Service.

Ch Insp Mark Arnold, of the tactical operations unit, said: “We have achieved our aim of removing a significant number of dangerous weapons from circulation."

He stressed: "Gun crime is very low in Kent but we are not complacent and seizing illegal weapons is part of the fight.”