Originally published at 6.51am

British police have discovered a 3D printer which they believe criminals were using to try to make a gun.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, officers in Manchester on Thursday seized a printer and other components potentially used in the manufacture of firearms during a raid.

As part of an operation to target organised crime gangs in the city, police found a trigger and a magazine they believe is capable of holding bullets, both of which are thought to have been made using the printer.

US firm Defense Distributed developed a working gun using a 3D printer

Officers believe the raid could have uncovered what could be Britain's first 3D gun factory.

Earlier this year concerns were raised that the printers, which construct everyday solid items using very thin layers of plastic, could be used to make a gun, which contained no metal parts and could therefore evade detection by security scanners at airports and other potential criminal targets.

In a statement to Sky News, Detective Inspector Chris Mossop, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "If what we have seized is proven to be viable components capable of constructing a genuine firearm, then it demonstrates that organised crime groups are acquiring technology that can be bought on the high street to produce the next generation of weapons.

"In theory, the technology essentially allows offenders to produce their own guns in the privacy of their own home, which they can then supply to the criminal gangs who are causing such misery in our communities."

In May a US defence company successfully fired the first ever gun made with 3D printer technology and announced plans to distribute the blueprints online.

The firm, Defense Distributed, spent a year trying to assemble a working model. It succeeded using separate printed plastic components and a metal firing pin.

The cost of 3D printers has fallen dramatically in recent months, and can now be bought for around €1,000.

Image: A man demonstrates the use of a plastic gun developed by US firm Defense Distributed