Divers doing their bit to clean-up the waterways discovered a gun in the River Great Ouse at St Neots on Saturday.
Sarah Francis, who dives with the Scuba Republic dive centre in Roxton, Befordshire, discovered the weapon during a river clean-up in St Neots, so they called the police.
Firearms officers were sent and took what was initially thought to be a live army pistol, for analysis.
Dive instructor Dave Forster, who led the clean-up, said: “She found it just below the bridge. It’s the first time we have ever found a gun.
“We were expecting to pull out loads of shopping trolleys but there were just four, as well as a toilet cistern, five bikes and loads of tubes.
“But it’s the first time we have ever found a gun. It was in a really bad state so it’s been there for a while.”
The five star PADI dive centre is required to do something positive for the environment in order to keep its status.
Dave says the River Great Ouse clean-up will now be an annual event for their divers.
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