Guns seized at city store

REPLICA guns have been seized by police in a raid on one of the city's biggest tartan gift shops.

The imitation pistols and rifle were taken from the Gold Brothers' store on South Bridge, which sells a range of replica weapons alongside tartan souvenirs.

The fake guns confiscated are believed to include a replica Lee Enfield Rifle – a weapon used by the British Army until the 1960s – and two imitation Colt Peacemaker pistols, which were originally made during the 1890s.

Galab Singh, the shop's owner, said police had visited as a part of a "routine inspection" but declined to comment further.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman confirmed "a quantity of replica weapons" had been recovered from the store on Wednesday afternoon and said inquiries were ongoing.

The manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms is illegal under the Violent Crime Reduction Act, introduced in 2006. The maximum penalty for carrying a replica gun in public is 12 months in prison.

Neil Wallworth, a former employee of the Gold Brothers, said he had tipped off police after becoming concerned that the sale of the replicas was illegal.

"To all intents and purposes, people would think these are real guns," he said. "People on the street wouldn't know they are replicas. They could be used in a crime and the public wouldn't know the difference."

The 38-year-old, who worked as manager at the company's Lawnmarket store until two weeks ago, claimed the guns were put on sale at 107 South Bridge after he threw them out of the Royal Mile shop.

The Singh Gold family, who trade as the Gold Brothers, have a chain of gift shops in the city. The family is one of Edinburgh's most spectacular business success stories, having built a multi-million-pound empire since setting up a market stall in East Fortune, East Lothian, in the 1970s.

Today, they own a number of stores in and around the Royal Mile. Their other business interests include an indoor market in Kirkcaldy and a property rental business in the Capital.

Known as "the kings of tartan tat", last month, the Gold Brothers began selling kilts for £19.99 in an attempt to undercut supermarket chain Lidl, who stocked kilts in the run-up to Burns night.

Police forces across the UK have reported a growth in the number of imitation weapons being converted and used to kill and maim.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has called for firearms legislation to be devolved to Scottish ministers after it emerged that firearms casualties north of the Border rose by a quarter last year.

The number of attempted murders using guns is almost three times that of a decade ago. Police chiefs in Edinburgh have warned they fear someone will eventually be killed as a result of people brandishing realistic looking imitation weapons in public, as they are almost impossible for police marksmen to tell apart from genuine weapons.