ANTI-GUN crime police say the five-year jail sentence given to a Huddersfield man caught with a sawn-off shotgun should act as a stark warning.

Joseph Liburd, of Spencer Terrace in Sheepridge, was yesterday found guilty of possessing a weapon banned under the Firearms Act.

He was sentenced to five years in prison following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Kirklees Det Sgt Damian Roebuck said: “This is a substantial sentence and sends a strong positive message to the criminal fraternity that if you harbour illegally held firearms you will serve custodial sentence in prison.”

Liburd, 42, was caught with the weapon when the Kirklees Drugs and Gun Crime Team executed a search warrant at his address in November 2007.

The officer in the case, Det Con Ian Green, said it was a reward for the determination and dedication of the officers involved.

He said: “The guilty verdict has vindicated the 18 months of hard work that Kirklees police and the Forensic Science Service have invested in this case.”

Anyone with information about illegal firearms should call the gun crime team on 01484 436609.