THE UK'S first laser pen amnesty has ended - resulting, police believe, in a drop in reported incidents.

The three-month amnesty, organised by Merseyside Police and Liverpool Trading Standards, ran from December 1, 1997, until February 28 in response to growing concerns over the wider availability of potentially dangerous laser pens and growing levels of misuse.

The aims of the amnesty were to raise awareness of the potential danger caused by misuse of pens, to encourage people to act responsibly and give people the opportunity to hand in any laser pointers or pens at their local police station or trading standards office.

The campaign has seen a significant reduction in the extent of misuse recorded during the amnesty with just 59 incidents reported since December.

Forty-three incidents alone were reported in the two weeks before the amnesty began.

Twenty-two pens have been handed in and 11 people arrested and prosecuted for offences such as assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

Detective Inspector Simon Byrne, who co-ordinated the police response, said: "We're very satisfied with the results. Our aim is to make Merseyside safe and for people to feel safe. This campaign has shown that we are determined to take the initiative and confront problems."

He added: "We welcome the partnership approach with local Trading Standards which has enabled us to get both our message across to a wider audience as possible. The issue of whether or not pointers are prohibited is still being considered by the Home Office. A national survey of misuse is currently being conducted by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Merseyside Police and Liverpool Trading Standards are committed to ensuring that all laser pens handed in are destroyed in a safe and environmentally friendly manner."

Head of Trading Standards in Liverpool, Peter Mawdsley, finished off by saying: "The amnesty has been a great success in getting the safety message across. The dramatic decline in incidents has been remarkable and we will continue to be vigilant to ensure the problem does not return."

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