A schoolgirl has found a loaded handgun dumped on a Melbourne street.
The 14-year-old made the discovery while walking to school in the city's west.
She saw the semi-automatic handgun lying in dirt near the footpath on Tilburn Road, in Deer Park, on Friday morning.
"The girl saw the firearm was loaded and continued on her way to school and reported it to a teacher, who then contacted police," Victoria Police said.
Police say the firearm appeared to have been dumped only recently.
They are checking unsolved robbery and homicide cases to see if there is a link.
