Shadow Public Safety Minister Maxwell Burgess last night called for a gun amnesty in Bermuda.

Such an amnesty would allow those owning illegal firearms to turn them in to the authorities without any consequences.

Mr. Burgess said there was a belief in the community that there were a large number of firearms on the Island. And he cited a recent incident where Police chased a man brandishing what appeared to be a firearm.

Mr. Burgess was not deterred by a poor response to previous amnesties.

Giving people a chance now would allow authorities to bring the full weight of the law down on them later if they were discovered with guns, he said.

"The laws are pretty tough at the moment," he said. "We would be able to say we will execute that toughness if people don't come forward. So don't come crying about not wanting your brother, your cousin, your father ... to serve so much time (if found guilty of possessing a firearm) if we have already given them every chance to come forward."

And should the PLP Government consider making Bermuda's gun laws laws even tougher, he declared: "They can count on our support of it."

He added consideration should be given to a reward for tips and information leading to people with guns, that would be honoured once the perpetrators were found guilty.

"We need to rid ourselves of what I call the North American gang mentality," he said. "Or it will soon become our norm ... and we don't want it.

"There emerges a sub-culture and we're simply not going to tolerate it, and we should do whatever it takes to eradicate those who participate in it."

Asked if he thought people would be scared to attempt to turn in someone they know with a gun, he replied: "If we continue to have a Police service without guns going into places where people might have guns, you can imagine what that will do ... We'll all pay the price tenfold.

"We owe it to future generations. Enough is enough."