POTENTIALLY lethal weapons will no long be sold on Ipswich market after the end of the month.Ipswich Council has banned the sale of ball-bearing guns, knives, and replica weapons from an army surplus stall on the Cornhill market.

By Paul Geater

POTENTIALLY lethal weapons will no long be sold on Ipswich market after the end of the month.

Ipswich Council has banned the sale of ball-bearing guns, knives, and replica weapons from an army surplus stall on the Cornhill market.

These items will be banned once the new market charter comes into operation on December 3.

"We have been looking at the issue for some time, the kind of things on sale there were not appropriate for the market," said deputy council leader David Ellesmere.

"The problem was made clear earlier this year when the police were having an amnesty for these weapons, but they were still on sale a few dozen yards away – it seemed totally contradictory."

Police Inspector Clive Benneworth said: "We fully support the council in its quest to take action against the sale of BB, replica or imitation guns.

"Over the past six months we have attended 50 incidents in the county where BB guns have been involved.

"For all intents and purposes such weapons have the appearance of a firearm and can bring fear in the community.

"During a month-long weapons amnesty held during July within Ipswich alone over 160 weapons were surrendered, each of these weapons taken off our streets potentially saved a life."

Ipswich's lead could be followed by Stowmarket, where the town council is considering introducing a similar ban on the sale of replica weapons.

The town council regulates the market and is considering changing the terms of the contract with traders to ban the sale of weapons or replica weapons.