Jurors see images of vast hoard of illegal weapons hidden in house

Photographs of a parish council chairman’s hidden room which housed the biggest hoard of illegal weapons ever found in the UK have been shown to jurors.

Police uncovered more than 400 firearms, including assault rifles and machine guns, in the home of James Arnold, 49, in the village of Wyverstone, Suffolk.

Arnold, who was the chairman of Wyverstone Parish Council, was due to face a string of firearms charges but died of cancer in July last year.

Anthony Buckland, 65, from Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk, is standing trial at Norwich Crown Court after pleading not guilty to selling prohibited weapons and fraud by false representation. He denies 20 counts, some of which relate to Arnold and some to other customers.

Prosecutor Andrew Oliver told the court the discovery was the “biggest stash of weapons this country had ever experienced”.

Opening the case, Mr Oliver said firearms ranging from air rifles to pistols to handguns to shotguns, and even automatic machine guns, were found in a secret room in Arnold’s house, accessed through a hidden door in his kitchen. Officers also found a safe behind a false wall.

No explanation of why Arnold amassed the collection has been offered to the court.

Buckland told the court he had known Arnold for more than 25 years. He said he had legally supplied him with guns and ammunition but would never have supplied him with illegal firearms.

Asked if he ever suspected Arnold of doing anything illegal, Buckland added: “Good heavens, no.”

The trial continues.