IN a police raid on a Chiswick man's home police found an old and rusty gun in a wardrobe and arrested him.

When he appeared at Feltham court last week Alan William Ball, aged 53, of Wilston Drive, Chiswick, admitted possession of a firearm without a certificate and was remanded on bail for reports and threatened with prison.

He maintained that he had found it in the attic only a few days previous and had asked advice from a Chiswick security firm.

William Ramnirace, prosecuting, said that police had gone to the house with a search warrant looking for stolen electrical goods. They found nothing but asked the defendant if he had anything in the house he should tell them about. He then took them to his bedroom and handed over the 12 bore pump action shotgun from his wardrobe.

Representing him, Mr David Cosmos, said that a warrant had been issued to search the house but nothing was found. Ball had found the gun only a few days before the raid, hidden under a joist in the loft and had gone to a security centre in Chiswick to ask their advice about what he should do. They wrote to him advising him and the letter arrived the same day as the police.

Mr Cosmos said that Ball realised now that he should have contacted the police straight away but there was no evidence it had been used nor was there ammunition for it.

It was a rusty old gun and could not have been used.

Magistrates said they wanted more information about Ball and remanded him on bail for pre-sentence reports and told him that this would include prison.

The following had their cases adjourned to a later date when they appeared at Feltham Magistrates Court last week: Sushil Kanabar, aged 49, of Murray Avenue, Hounslow, charged with threatening words and behaviour and pretending to be a British Transport police officer.

Kevin McCormack, aged 28, of Southern Avenue, Feltham, charged with assaulting a man at Feltham on March 2nd.

Ronald Pidgeley aged 25, of Pennyhill, Camberley, charged with making threats to kill at Hounslow on March 16th.

Alexander Robertson, aged 42, of Newton Road, Isleworth, charged with assaulting a man and threatening violence at Isleworth on March 8th.

May 30, 2003 12:30