Massive guns cache seized in police raid

Hundreds of firearms were seized from a suburban house today in the biggest weapons haul of its kind by Metropolitan Police.

Thirty officers raided the semi-detached property in Dartford, Kent, at 6am and discovered a cache of shotguns, automatic and semi-automatic weapons.

Officers arrested a 55-year-old man at the house on suspicion of supplying firearms from a residential address.

Another residential property and a business address were searched nearby, while a linked operation was carried out in New Jersey, in the US.

Detective Superintendent Kevin Davis, from Operation Trident which targets gun crime in the black community, said "hundreds and hundreds" of weapons were found.

"This is the biggest firearms haul we have ever had," he said. "The premises raided were used to store hundreds and hundreds of weapons. I have never seen anything like it.

"Guns are mounted on every available wall space in the property and live ammunition was found lying on the floor.

"There are guns everywhere. It will take us at least three days to log it all and bag up the evidence."

The raids were part of Operation Mokpo, launched 18 months ago after a series of shootings by rival gangs in north London.

Today's discovery will come as a boost to police after spiralling gun crime in the capital.

The three dawn searches were carried out by Trident officers and Polsa search teams but the majority of firearms were found in the three-bedroom house.

Twelve plain-clothes police officers raided the premises, which had a large US flag hanging over the front porch.

A sports car with a personalised number plate was parked outside and many of the guns were found in the large garage at the property.

Inside the house, antique weapons were mounted on the walls.

The man arrested opened the door to police wearing black boxer shorts while his wife was asleep upstairs.

It is thought the couple have one son and two grandchildren.