More than a dozen guns lost or stolen in Sussex last year

More than a dozen guns were lost or stolen in Sussex last year, new figures show.

The Gun Control Network said the figures, which show hundreds of guns are lost and stolen nationally each year, are "appalling" and criticised owners who lose their weapons.

The Home Office said the UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and that enforcement agencies "will work quickly to crack down on criminals who illegally obtain firearms".

Its figures show 15 guns were lost or stolen in Sussex in the year to March – up from six the year before.

Of them, 14 were stolen and one was lost.

Some 12 of these were shotguns, while one was a rifle.

Across England and Wales, 439 firearms and shotguns were reported lost or stolen in the year to March, a 20% rise from 365 the previous year – of these, 165 were lost and 274 were stolen, both increases from the year before.

While shotguns and rifles accounted for the majority of lost or stolen guns, other types reported missing included handguns, pistols and sound moderators.