Man charged after firearms and ammunition found

Th action was part of an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA)

A man has been charged after 10 firearms were found at an industrial premises.

The blank firing pistols, which can be converted into lethal weapons, were recovered from a site in Kendal, Cumbria, along with live ammunition and a silencer.

Dudley Brennan, 29, of Sandes Avenue, Kendal, has been charged with conspiracy to possess a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition and remains in custody.

Two more suspects were also arrested on Tuesday as part of the investigation.

Brennan appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance on 15 April.

Bomb disposal unit

The action, which was part of an National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into the conversion of blank firing weapons, was supported by Cumbria Police.

Richard Harrison, NCA regional head of investigations, said the investigation had been "fast-paced".

It saw army bomb disposal experts attend the industrial premises in Kendal after a suspicious device was found.

It was later confirmed it was not an explosive.

Five flats in the town's Sandes Court were also evacuated on Friday afternoon after an "unknown chemical" was found in a nearby property.

The substance was safely removed and people returned to their homes soon after.

Further arrests

A 38-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman were arrested in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, on Tuesday night.

The man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply firearms and the woman was held on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Both were further arrested in relation to drugs offences and remain in custody for questioning.

Two other suspects, a 30-year-old man and a woman, aged 47, were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to supply firearms last week. They were released on bail.

The investigation continues.