BOLTON Council chiefs are being urged to send out a clear message to criminals by banning the sale of replica guns in the town.

John Smethurst, who worked for the local authority for 47 years, claims the number of armed raids in the town could be reduced if the imitations were not so easily available.

As reported in the Bolton Evening News on Friday, lethal-looking imitation weapons are being sold at the town's council-run Ashburner Street market.

Earlier The rising tide of gun law reports here

Our reporter had a choice of fake handguns, pistols and revolvers.

He eventually purchased a replica Uzi costing £44.95, complete with small white plastic ball bearings and a magazine.

Although the council has pledged to review its policy, Mr Smethurst has urged the local authority to lead the way by acting quickly and putting a stop to the sale of all imitations.

Mr Smethurst, who lives in Bryn Walk, Halliwell, Bolton, said he raised the issue with MP David Crausby 18 months ago.

He said: "I bought two of the weapons myself and took them along to show him what was being sold in Bolton.

"At the time I was shocked and could not believe such items could be so freely available.

"Mr Crausby looked into the matter, but the stallholders were not breaking the law.

"It is not illegal to sell them and until the Government takes action, the council should try and do what it can.

"The local authority could stop these stalls from selling them."

Mr Smethurst, who retired two years ago on health reasons, added: "Every week we read about criminals threatening staff at garages and shops with weapons. These guns look very real and to the victim, they are real. If they were banned the police could take action but at the minute, they can't do anything.

"We should all work together to fight crime in whatever way we can."

Police chiefs have already called for the imitation guns to be banned. A Bolton Council spokesman said a review of the policy of allowing replica weapons to be sold was now under way, but no date has yet been fixed for the results of the review to be made public.