POLICE recorded almost 100 gun crimes in Cheshire during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, figures show.

Lockdowns and other coronavirus restrictions contributed to gun crime dropping nationally in the year to March, but police forces across England and Wales still logged thousands of offences.

Home Office figures show Cheshire Constabulary recorded 94 crimes involving firearms that year – and has dealt with 958 since police force level records began in 2007-08.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said there is more work to be done nationally to stop those intent on carrying weapons and prevent the 'terrible consequences' of gun crime.

There were nine firearm offences for every 100,000 people in the Cheshire policing area in 2020-21 – down from 10 the year before.

The data covers crimes involving lethal firearms like shotguns and handguns and non-lethal weapons such as stun guns, but excludes offences involving air weapons.

It shows weapons were discharged or fired 56 times during incidents recorded by Cheshire Constabulary last year.

A Government spokesman said it was recruiting 20,000 extra police officers nationally and had given forces greater powers to stop and search, in an effort to tackle the issue and remove dangerous weapons from the streets.

He said the country had some of the toughest gun controls in the world and that firearms offences made up a small proportion of recorded crime, adding: "We know that everyone in Britain deserves safe streets, homes and communities."

Gun crime dropped nationally by 14 per cent compared to 2019-20 and has fallen significantly over 13 years – last year, it was 42 per cent lower than in 2007-08.

Cheshire Constabulary logged 59 gun crimes in 2007-08, 59 per cent fewer than last year and the equivalent of six in every 100,000 people.

The number of firearm crimes recorded by the force was at its highest in 2019-20.

A spokesman for the NPCC said any loss of life or injury from offensive weapons is 'one too many', adding: "These figures reflect important on-going work by police and our partners to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and other serious incidents due to armed criminality."