More than 170 firearms and nearly 4,000 rounds of ammunition were handed in during an amnesty held by police in Kent.

Pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, air weapons and an AK-47 were surrendered as part of the initiative.

Police say a total of 172 firearms and 3,857 rounds of ammunition were handed over.

The campaign, which ran between January 21 and February 6, was later extended by two days to allow people to safely get rid of unwanted or illegally held firearms or ammunition.

Three Italian starting pistols and a Walther PPK blank firing replica pistol with some blank rounds were among the most interesting items handed in.

A Colt 'New Service' .445 calibre revolver was also surrendered. It was made in 1898 and had been used by British and Commonwealth forces until the end of the Second World War.

A Webley .380 calibre service revolver, believed to have been used in the First World War, was also handed in.

Detective cheif inspector, Patrick Holmes, said: "We had an excellent response to this year's surrender.

"Many firearms are held innocently with owners unaware of their illegality, or are overlooked heirlooms forgotten in people's homes.

"The initiative gave residents the chance to hand in unwanted firearms ensuring that they were safely removed off the streets and preventing them from being acquired and distributed by criminal networks.

"Every firearm off the streets is another weapon which has been prevented from being potentially used in criminal activity and potentially another life which has been saved, so I would like to thank all those residents who used the surrender as an opportunity to hand in their unwanted or illegally held firearms and ammunition."