Man arrested after being spotted carrying suspected firearm

Firearms officers from West Midlands Police detained the man and recovered a suspected firearm close by following a call at 12.30am from a member of the public, who said they had seen the man walking down Station Road in Stechford holding a gun.

The 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and remains in custody.

West Midlands Police said the arrest was the latest as part of Operation Target, a stand by the force against a range of serious and organised crime offences.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "A man has been arrested and a suspected firearm has been recovered by officers in Birmingham in the early hours of this morning (1 Nov).

"At around 12.30am, we received a call from a member of the public who had spotted the man walking along Station Road in Stechford holding a gun.

"The man was seen heading onto Lyttelton Road where he was detained by firearms officers.

"A suspected firearm was recovered close by.

"The 41-year-old was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and remains in police custody.

"We're committed to removing guns from our streets and we're carrying out regular activity across the city.

"We're currently running Operation Target which sees us take a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime offences, from drug dealing and burglary, to cyber-crime and fraud.

"Anyone with information about serious and organised crime in their neighbourhood, should report it to us via 101 or Live Chat.

"In case of an emergency, dial 999. Alternatively, reports can be made anonymously via the independent charity, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."