The North Mail 09/06/1920 reports that a German gun was presented to the town by the War Office. It had been given a temporary place outside the police station. About one hundred inhabitants removed it and ran it westwards along to the River Wear.

The police tried to stop them, saying the the UDC were planning to remove the gun to a store yard pending other arrangements.

However, with the ringleaders saying that they would save the UDC the trouble, the gun was taken to the stone bridge nearly a mile away and thrown into the river.

At the following Council meeting, conscientious objectors were blamed for this action, and a proposal was made to prosecute the ringleaders, but the council agreed to take no further action.