A HANDGUN found at the former Felixstowe home of convicted drug dealer Edwin Almond is being examined today in a bid to find out who owns it and whether it is connected to any crime.

A HANDGUN found at the former Felixstowe home of convicted drug dealer Edwin Almond is being examined today in a bid to find out who owns it and whether it is connected to any crime.

Even though Almond is currently serving a total of five and a half years in jail after admitting possession of more than 2,500 ecstasy tablets with intent to supply and dishonestly receiving stolen vehicles, Great Street Farmhouse in High Street, Trimley St Mary still holds an air of mystery.

Its new owners, who moved in last Christmas after buying the house in the summer, discovered the firearm in the middle of their back garden as they were preparing the soil to lay new turf.

Although the husband and wife were reluctant to be named, the couple said they had called police after discovering the gun covered up and buried in the earth.

The wife said: "We were rotavating while getting ready to lay the lawn. I was picking up stones and debris. We did not know what it was."

She said the hand-held gun was wrapped in a tea towel within a bag. Initially the couple believed it was probably a replica firearm, but aware of the history of their home decided to call police.

The wife said: "It did not look that real. We just phoned the police and got them to take it away."

She said the couple were told it was a dummy handgun by officers and still believed it to be the case.

However since it has been with police, tests have been carried out on the gun and they have discovered it is a genuine firearm.

Now experts are checking it for forensics to see if they can determine who the gun belongs to and if it is linked to any crime.

Simon Stevens, a spokesman for Suffolk police, confirmed officers were now in possession of the gun, which was found just after lunchtime on March 28.

Mr Stevens said: "At 1.45pm we received a report that a gun had been found in a garden and would appear to have been wrapped in some sort of cloth.

"We attended the house and the weapon was recovered and taken to Felixstowe police station."

No ammunition was with the gun when it was found.

Mr Stevens added officers have no plans to return to Great Street Farmhouse to search the grounds for further weapons.