Gangsters can hand their firearms in without facing any penalties during a week-long amnesty, as a woman jailed for five years for stashing her boyfriend’s gun issues a video appeal to stop Londoners ‘ruining their lives’.

The firearms amnesty allows anyone who illegally owns a gun to hand it in to police stations across the capital without being charged until 11pm on Sunday, February 12.

It was announced after more than 1,400 guns were seized by the Metropolitan Police (Met) over the past two years and after 305 discharges were recorded in the past 12 months up to January 25, a rise of 79 on the year before.

Discharges are registered when a bullet casing is found or a person is treated for a gunshot wound.

The #Giveupyourgun campaign uses a video appeal to encourage people to hand their weapons before they get arrested.

In the video a woman said her boyfriend asked her to look after his gun and assured her that she “wouldn’t get in any trouble”.

The unnamed woman added she put her family’s lives at risk and encouraged others to hand their guns in to the police unless they wanted to go to prison for at least five years.

Jim Stokley, detective chief superintendent of the Metropolitan Police’s Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “Illegal firearms cause nothing but misery and devastation.

“We are urging anyone holding an illegal firearm to take up this opportunity and hand it in to police this week.

"Our aim is to remove all illegal firearms from the streets of London and we work relentlessly to disrupt and arrest anyone suspected of being involved in gun crime.

“If you hold on to an illegal gun, you are putting yourself and your loved ones in danger and you are likely to be arrested and face at least five years in jail.”

In response to rising gun crime the Met’s Trident command launched Operation Viper to target known offenders and sweep areas with a high number of discharges. Officers have also worked with the Milestone foundation to steer young people away from committing crimes and into employment.

Any antique or decommissioned weapons that can still be used as well as any loose ammunition can also be handed in to police. To find out where the nearest police station is to hand in your gun click here.

If you know someone who may have an illegal gun, ring police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.