Two men who tried to dispose of a sawn-off shotgun when cornered by police have each been jailed for six years.

Robert Callender, of Copenhagen Road, and supermarket worker Okkes Ozkaya, of Christmas Street, both Gillingham, denied possessing a prohibited weapon but were convicted in April.

Maidstone Crown Court heard police were patrolling the A225 between South Darenth and Farningham shortly before midnight on March 20 last year when they saw a Peugeot 206 car.

They activated their blue lights and indicated to the driver to stop at the entrance of Pedham Place Golf Club in London Road, Swanley.

Prosecutor Anthony Prosser said as the car came to a halt the passenger door opened and a man got out and ran in front of the police car towards a grass verge.

“They saw him throw an object about 18in long over the top of the hedge,” he said.

“He doubled back across the front of the police car and ran along the path.”

One of the officers chased and quickly caught Callender. Ozkaya drove off with wheels spinning and the other officer followed.

The Peugeot headed towards the M25. The police officer called for back-up and then returned to the golf club to assist his colleague.

After putting Callender, 21, in the police car the officers recovered an Aya side by side 12-gauge double barrelled shotgun, shortened to 54.5cm, less than the legal 60cm.

Ozkaya, 22, was stopped and arrested soon afterwards near the Medway Tunnel.

Mr Prosser said the weapon was “undoubtedly old and rusty and dirty”, but was test fired.

Ozkaya, who has a two-year-old son, only gave a prepared statement saying he had no knowledge of the gun whatsoever.

Mr Prosser said: “We just don’t know what the purpose of this weapon was.”

Callender and Ozkaya were sentenced on Friday by Judge Philip St John-Stevens.