FORENSIC experts were today attempting to uncover the history of a sawn-off shotgun which was plucked from an Ipswich river.Suffolk police is trying to work out the age of the rusty weapon, which was found in the River Gipping, and, crucially, if it has any links to crimes committed in the county.

FORENSIC experts were today attempting to uncover the history of a sawn-off shotgun which was plucked from an Ipswich river.

Suffolk police is trying to work out the age of the rusty weapon, which was found in the River Gipping, and, crucially, if it has any links to crimes committed in the county.

Early estimates suggested the single-barrel pump-action gun is up to 20-years-old.

The gun was recovered from the water near the bridge over Handford Road on Sunday during an annual river clean-up. It is not known if it was loaded at the time.

Sixty-four-year-old diver David Cursons found the weapon before immediately contacting police.

A constabulary spokesman today said further tests were planned in a bid to unlock any evidence relating to who may have dumped the weapon.

The Evening Star understands that officers are also trawling through cases in which a shotgun was used but the weapon was never recovered.

Police estimate the gun had been in the water for a “considerable amount of time”.

However, Mr Cursons said: “It was fairly rusty, but then things don't have to be in the river very long to get that rusty.

“Because we're doing this under bridges where people come to lob things over, it's not surprising what you might find.”

Along with the gun, the river clean-up also recovered 50 shopping trolleys, 25 bicycles, ten motorbikes and a bus stop sign.

Anyone with information on the origins of the gun should call Ipswich CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Have you made an unusual find? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk