A police dog being exercised by his handler close to Rochdale Road, Harpurhey sniffed out a suspicious package in waste land at the rear of Manchester General Cemetery.
It turned out the dog called Buddy’s suspicious package was a firearm – believed to be a sawn off shot gun – and ammunition.
Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and officers are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this discovery to come forward and speak with police.
Detective Inspector Paul Crompton of GMP’s City of Manchester Division said: “Thanks to Buddy’s sharp nose and the officers swift action we have been successful in removing a potentially lethal weapon from the streets of Manchester.
“We want to take this opportunity to appeal to any who might have information that could assist us in our enquiries to come forward and speak to police. Do you regularly walk through Manchester General Cemetery? Have you seen anything or anyone acting suspiciously in the area recently? Any information, no matter how small could greatly assist us in our investigation.
“Today’s recovery highlights the vital role GMP’s four legged recruits play in ensuring our communities are kept safe. We will absolutely not tolerate the possession or use of illegal firearms and weapons with in our communities and we are committed to ensuring they are removed from our streets and perpetrators are appropriately dealt with.”
