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| Police warn girls on hiding guns | Police warn girls on hiding guns |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Metropolitan Police are launching a campaign warning young women not to hide guns for their boyfriends, brothers or male friends. | The Metropolitan Police are launching a campaign warning young women not to hide guns for their boyfriends, brothers or male friends. |
| The campaign is aimed at the growing number of teenage girls in London who, the Met says, are being persuaded to store weapons for male gang members. | The campaign is aimed at the growing number of teenage girls in London who, the Met says, are being persuaded to store weapons for male gang members. |
| Police will be primarily targeting black girls aged between 15 and 19. | |
| People caught hiding a gun for someone else can expect to receive a five-year prison sentence. | People caught hiding a gun for someone else can expect to receive a five-year prison sentence. |
| Despite this, police say, an increasing number of women are concealing firearms for partners and male friends involved in gangs. | Despite this, police say, an increasing number of women are concealing firearms for partners and male friends involved in gangs. |
| The number of women charged with firearms offences in London has increased six-fold in the past year - 12 women have been charged since January, with over half of them teenagers. | The number of women charged with firearms offences in London has increased six-fold in the past year - 12 women have been charged since January, with over half of them teenagers. |
| Gun possession makes up the vast majority of these crimes, prompting the Met to launch the campaign aimed specifically at black teenage girls. | Gun possession makes up the vast majority of these crimes, prompting the Met to launch the campaign aimed specifically at black teenage girls. |
| Officers will visit nail salons and hairdressers with the message that women carrying or storing firearms will face the same sentences as men. | Officers will visit nail salons and hairdressers with the message that women carrying or storing firearms will face the same sentences as men. |
| Police in Manchester and Birmingham say they are also dealing with these sorts of cases, but not in enough numbers to warrant a specific campaign. | Police in Manchester and Birmingham say they are also dealing with these sorts of cases, but not in enough numbers to warrant a specific campaign. |