A man who was convicted of firearms offences after Police Scotland recovered a handgun in East Lothian last year has been jailed.

As part of inquiries into shootings, which happened in the South of Edinburgh on September 2014, detectives from the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit and Edinburgh CID carried out a search of an address in Baxter’s Neuk, Tranent on 13th February 2015.

Evidence was taken from the property, which led police to a farm in Haddington that was then subject to search activity where a Smith and Wesson revolver was found buried on the site.

Lee Hunter, who was on remand for an attempted murder that occurred in Wester Hailes, was interviewed in connection with this recovery and subsequently reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

He was subsequently convicted of various offences under the Firearms Act, attempted murder, assault and breach of the peace.

The 30-year-old was sentenced to five and a half years and prison and given an order of life long restriction.

Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Gray from the East OCCTU said: “Lee Hunter demonstrated on a number of occasions his willingness to use a firearm to intimidate his victims and cause fear and alarm to the public.

“Despite attempting to conceal the handgun, robust inquiries by the OCCTU, Edinburgh CID and East Lothian officers, we recovered the weapon and charged Hunter with a number of offences.

“His sentence reflects the joint commitment of both Police Scotland and the Crown Office to identify those who illegally possess and utilise firearms and bring them to justice.”