Thomas David Brown, 25, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday 8 December to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm.

At around 3pm on Thursday 20 October 2022 Dorset Police received a report that a possible firearm had been found in a guest’s room in the George Hotel, High Street North.

Officers attended and carried out a search of the room. They discovered a revolver situated in Brown’s room, which was later examined and found to be a viable firearm.

Brown was arrested at the scene as he returned to the hotel at around 5pm that same day.

Detective inspector Shaun Inkpen, of Bournemouth CID, said: “We take all reports of offences involving firearms extremely seriously. Through the swift response by both patrol and firearms officers we were able to remove a potentially lethal weapon from the streets.

“We also quickly detained the man responsible for possessing this weapon in order that he could be brought before the court and face the consequences of his actions.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that we will swiftly act upon any information relating to a firearm and deal robustly with anyone found in possession of such a prohibited weapon. I would urge anyone with information in respect of this type of criminality to please report it to us immediately.”