A HARDGATE farm owner has admitted having more than 1,200 bullets, 20 years after his firearms certificate was revoked for his problems with alcohol.

Alexander Morton, 74, pleaded guilty last week to possession of the stash of bullets in his home after a search warrant last year.

But his defence solicitor insisted they were safely locked away and of no threat.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week heard how police obtained a search warrant on December 3, 2015 under the Misuse of Drugs Act and attended at Cleddans Farm, Cleddans Road, on December 18.

Officers were given access by Morton’s son with other family members, including two grandchildren aged 11 and six, also present.

Police asked for a safe in the hallway to be opened. There they found: - 995, .22 long riffle hollow point bullets - 200 subsonic hollow point bullets - 100 Eley subsonic hollow point bullets - a magazine with three rounds of bullets It wasn’t until March 11 though when Morton attended at Clydebank police office and was detained, making no comment during an interview.

The bullets were examined by ballistics and confirmed a firearms certificate was required for possession of the items, said depute fiscal Sarah Healing.

“He was not a holder of a licence, nor was anyone else,” she said. “Mr Morton previously operated the farm as a working farm and did have a licence.”

The licence was in effect from 1991 to 1996 but was for a maximum of 500 rounds. There was an application for a new licence considered in June 1006 but it was refused “due to concerns from the police about the level of Mr Morton’s alcohol consumption”.

Ms Healing added: “The ammunition was all kept together within a small box in a safe that was locked.”

Defence solicitor Tom Brown said: “They seemed to be there since the 1990s.”

Sheriff William Gallacher called for reports to be prepared on Morton before his sentencing on November 22, noting he was concerned about the reasons the licence wasn’t renewed in 1996.

He said: “I will consider all options. This is a very serious matter. There are many offences and aspects of criminal law that deal with a preventative nature. You had possession of a very significant amount of ammunition.”

Sheriff Gallacher added that Morton may once have been entitled to have the bullets, but not in a long time.