Three people have been arrested after a stash of deadly weapons was discovered in the back garden of a Salford home.
A shotgun, a handgun and live ammunition were dug up from under the garden of a house on Crowngreen Road in Eccles.
Police, who began their 12-day search of the property on 8 July, used heavy machinery to pull up areas of the back garden.
They discovered a machete and a quantity of class B drugs from inside the house.
The force said two men, aged 57 and 30, and a 54-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and ammunition and taken into custody for questioning following the raid.
Police believe the weapons discovered during the search are thought to be viable and said they have been removed from the address to undergo forensic testing.
Detective Sergeant Gareth Bannister from Greater Manchester Police’s Challenger team said: “Firearms have absolutely no place on our streets and the recovery of these items is significant in removing potentially lethal weapons from our communities.
“This is our message to those that look to use violence, intimidation and the threat of firearms to protect their criminal activities and interests – we will pursue you and bring you to justice.
“We are urging anyone with information about illegal firearms or suspicious activity in their area to get in contact with us by calling 101, 999 in an emergency or report it via the Live Chat function on our website at gmp.police.uk.
“Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
