A DUNBAR gun enthusiast has given up his large collection of weapons after he was caught attempting to import an air rifle into the country.

Euan Davidson, 33, appeared in the dock at the capital’s sheriff court last week to admit two charges of attempting to import an air rifle into the UK, and to possessing a handgun.

Prosecutor Susan Dickson told the court that Davidson had bought the rifle from an online supplier but the package had been intercepted by security at Birmingham Airport before it could reach its intended recipient in June 2020.

A search warrant was granted to search Davidson’s home on Yosemite Park the following month, and officers attended at the property on July 2.

He told officers he believed he had bought “a legal airsoft weapon” and he was covered to own the restricted item because he was a member of the UK Airsoft Association.

The item was confiscated and Davidson was arrested and charged.

Police returned to Davidson’s home six months later with a second search warrant granted under the Firearms Act.

Police had been given information that Davidson was in possession of a handgun and, following a search of the property, the weapon was found.

The court was told the handgun was “a model of a Walther PPK” but was found to be an air gun imitation.

During a police interview, the gun enthusiast said he was a member of various gun clubs and that he believed “the [clubs’] insurance allowed him to have the item in his possession”.

Along with the handgun, police officers were also said to have discovered “a significant number of legally held replicas” along with legally held ammunition.

Paul Smith, defending, said his client had 30 items seized by police on the second raid and that he was “an enthusiastic collector”.

Mr Smith said Davidson had “very much learned his lesson and now wants to move away from all that” and was content for all the weapons to be confiscated despite his collection being worth thousands of pounds.

The court was told Davidson believed being a member of the club covered him in terms of holding a licence.

Sheriff O’Carroll deferred sentence for the preparation of reports to next month and granted the Crown motion for the forfeiture of the weapons.

Davidson pleaded guilty to attempting to import an air rifle into the UK on June 6, 2020.

He also admitted to possessing a handgun without the appropriate certification on February 18, 2021.