A 74-YEAR-old Gourock man has been charged with making death threats whilst in unlawful possession of a gun with 'suitable' ammunition.

Ian Peddie is said to have had an air weapon without a certificate within his flat at the town's Tower Drive.

A charge against the pensioner alleges that he had 'a firearm and ammunition suitable for use in that firearm without lawful authority or reasonable excuse'.

Prosecutors say that he also behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by 'shouting, swearing and uttering threats to kill'.

He is accused of committing the alleged offences on October 23.

Peddie appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court in private on a petition undertaking on Friday and made no plea through lawyer Aidan Gallagher.

He was allowed bail by Sheriff Joseph Hughes.

A date for the next calling of the case is yet to be fixed.