British city issues special Christmas cards to fight gun crime

At first glance, it might look like a typical Christmas card featuring a festive snowflake. But a closer look reveals the flakes of snow are made up of bullets and handguns.

These Christmas cards with a difference were on Thursday given by Liverpool police to adult family members of suspected gun criminals in a fight gun crime.

Police say the aim of the card is to encourage family members to hand over crucial evidence in a bid to stop their loved ones from descending into a life of crime, being killed or injured.

The card contains the message: "Together we can make gun crime fall this Christmas."

Detective Superintendent Lee Turner of Merseyside Police said: "We hope this will lead to the families of gun offenders talking about the dangers and consequences of firearms."

"We want the communities whose lives are blighted by gun crime to take a stand and give us information about gun crime, anonymously if preferred, so we can act upon it and help eradicate gun crime," he added.

Last year, there were more than 200 gun crime incidents in the Liverpool area, marking the third highest number in Britain after Birmingham and London. This year, three teenagers were shot dead in Liverpool in gun crime.