Father supports Greater Manchester Police gun amnesty

James Gregory's son was shot dead in 2009

The father of a teenager who was shot dead in a revenge attack has urged people to hand illegally held guns into police as part of an amnesty.

Giuseppe Gregory, 16, was the last fatal gang shooting in Manchester, outside a Stretford pub on 11 May 2009.

His father, James, said: "Don't let weapons be your first choice to solve a disagreement."

Greater Manchester Police is asking for weapons to be handed in anonymously so they do not fall into criminals' hands.

The two-week amnesty is the force's first since 2008 when more than 1,000 guns were handed in.

From Saturday 12 July at 07:00 BST until Saturday 26 July at 11:59 those surrendering firearms at any police station will not face prosecution for illegal possession and they can remain anonymous.

In 2011, Moses Mathias, then aged 18, was jailed for life after admitting murdering Giuseppe Gregory in a revenge attack over the shooting of his friend in a betting shop in south Manchester.

Det Ch Insp Debbie Dooley said the police "work hard to educate young people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn't become prevalent in the future".

Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd, said: "Every weapon removed from the streets potentially represents a life saved, so take this opportunity to do the right thing."

Over 1,000 guns were handed in during a Greater Manchester Police amnesty in 2008