POLICE recorded dozens of gun crimes in West Mercia 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 West Mercia Police recorded 82 crimes involving firearms that year – and has dealt with 1,035 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 six firearm offences for every 100,000 people in the West Mercia policing area in 2020-21 – down from eight 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 39 times during incidents recorded by West Mercia Police last year.

Nationally, more than 1,000 people were injured and dozens died as a result of gun crime in 2020-21, when forces in England and Wales tackled 5,700 firearms offences.

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

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

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."