Latest Figures Show a Fall in Gun Crime
in Scotland -
November 2006
THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE has released the latest
figures for gun offences in Scotland. These show an overall fall in
the number of offences and the number incidents resulting in injury.
There were 8 gun homicides in 2005/06, the same number as in 2004/05.
> See
Statistics
Police Look at Gun Crime Strategy - October 2006
ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers,
will meet in Birmingham to discuss plans for a national strategy to
tackle illegal firearms. Details are expected to be released after
the meeting (Manchester Evening News, 26 October 2006). The
creation of a new national ballistics database has been announced.
The National Ballistics Intelligence Programme will have three "hubs" in
London, Birmingham and Manchester (Press Association, 26 October
2006).
Latest Figures Indicate a Further Fall in Gun Crime in
England & Wales
- October 2006
THE LATEST FIGURES published by the Home
Office show a further fall in firearms offences in England and Wales.
The figures, which do not include airgun offences, reveal falls in
offences involving most types of weapon. The number of gun
homicides and injuries were both down compared with the previous year.
The data contradict the oft-repeated view that gun crime is spinning out
of control. Although the number of offences remains too high to
allow for any complacency they confirm that this country still has a
very low level of gun crime relative to that in most other
industrialised nations.
> See
Further Details
Separate figures for London from the past
six months indicate a 19.5 percent fall in gun crime in the capital (ic
South London, 24 October 2006).
Gun Hand In Announced for Manchester after Boy's Death
- October 2006
FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC DEATH of Jesse James
in Moss Side police in Greater Manchester have launched a firearms
amnesty. People who hold or find illegal guns have been asked to
hand them in. It is not an amnesty as any weapons which were
involved in crime would be investigated but it no one will be prosecuted
for possessing a gun (BBC, 2 October 2006). At Middleton
police station, just two days into the campaign, more than 1000 bullets
were handed in (Middleton Guardian, 12 October 2006). The
latest report indicates that 430 guns have been handed in along with
2500 rounds of ammunition (BBC,
10 November 2006).
Metropolitan Police Officers Call for
Longer Jail Terms - October 2006
THE CURRENT five-year mandatory minimum sentence
for anyone over the age of 21 carrying a gun should be raised to seven or
even 10 years, say senior Metropolitan Police officers. One assistant
commissioner has suggested that the age limit should also be reduced to 18
to tackle gun trends in teenagers (BBC, 2 October 2006).
Registered Firearms Dealer Arrested
and Charged after Massive Arms Find
- September 2006
MICHAEL SHEPHERD, a registered gun dealer,
has appeared in court charged with a series of weapons offences
following a large seizure of guns in Dartford, Kent. He has been
charged with conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and
conspiracy to put people in fear. He is also charged with
conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited ammunition and possession of
prohibited weapons. Hundreds of guns including pump-action
shotguns, M16 rifles, revolvers and antique firearms were found in a
semi-detached house. The police raids in which the guns were found
were part of an 18-month inquiry into gang shootings in north London and
were carried out by Operation Trident (BBC, 13 September 2006 &
15 September 2006). He was eventually acquitted of all charges
brought against him (see June
2007 Incidents).
Airgun Shootings on Pets Increase
- September 2006
THE RSPCA has reported that the number of
pet shot by airguns has increased by more than a quarter in the past six
years. There has been a 28% rise from 182 cases during the first
six months in 2000 to 234 incidents during the first half of 2006.
The society described the figures as the "tip of the iceberg" and says
there are more incidents that officially reported (BBC, 2
September 2006).
International News:
Scottish Parents Support Turkish Campaign
with Anti-Gun Song -
September 2006
BEREAVED SCOTTISH PARENTS will attend
an anti-gun rally at the Izmir International Fair. David
Grimason, whose 2-year-old son Alistair was fatally injured in a
shooting in Turkey in 2003 has recorded Silahlara Hayir (a
Turkish version of Throw These Guns Away, a song written
and released after the Dunblane shootings in 1996) with Turkish
singer Nico. David will be attending the rally with John
Crozier, whose daughter Emma died at Dunblane.
> see
Throw These Guns Away Website
> see
IANSA Website for more details
Another Boy Dies after being Shot with an
Airgun - August
2006
A 12-YEAR-OLD-BOY has
died after being shot in the eye with an airgun
pellet in Stoke-on-Trent. He was rushed to hospital where he died of a
penetration wound. Two 12-year-old boys were arrested at the scene and
have been released on police bail. A police spokesman said the his
death "would appear to serve as a terrible reminder of the dangers of
children having access to air weapons" (BBC, 22 August 2006).
> See
GCN Comment on Airgun Incidents
in August
Rise
in Legal Gun Ownership Making Firearm Incident Situation Worse (Wiltshire
Police) - August
2006
OF THE
109 INCIDENTS to which Wiltshire Constabulary's armed officers were called in
2005, 31 involved replica weapons, BB guns and airguns. Officers fear
a tragedy is just waiting to happen. And because legal weapon
ownership has increased significantly in the last five years police are
concerned that this is making the situation worse, because they can no
longer assume when they are called out that they are dealing with fake gun (Swindon
Advertiser, 1 August 2006).
Keeping Ball-Bearing Guns Off Our Streets
- July 2006
THE
ASSISTANT CHIEF CONSTABLE of Derbyshire has written to Parents and Guardians
in the county asking for their help in the campaign to reduce the misuse of
ball-bearing, imitation and airguns. The text of the letter is given
below.
Dear
Parents/Guardians
Keeping Ball-Bearing Guns Off Our
Streets
I am
writing to ask for your help in our campaign to reduce the misuse of
ball-bearing, imitation and air guns. Sadly the figures say it all. These guns
account for some 80 per cent of all firearm incidents dealt with by
Derbyshire police.
Ball-bearing and imitation guns look like real firearms, and this
means that if your child is seen
carrying one in public they could find themselves facing
an armed police officer. As an organisation we have to respond to
many incidents where firearms have been or are being used. We rely on skilled officers making a professional judgement, but I am
really concerned because of the frighteningly realistic nature
of some of these guns. At the point of potential conflict, only your child will know if
their gun is real or not. This puts themselves,
the public and police officers at unnecessary risk.
You may or may not know, that these guns can still be
purchased legally although it is an offence
to
carry one in public. Those people who do carry such a weapon in public
run the real risk of
being arrested and prosecuted.
Help us to help you keep your child safe by calling
Derbyshire police on 0845 123 3333 to arrange for your ball-bearing,
imitation and air guns to be collected.
Yours
faithfully
Mick
Creedon
Assistant Chief Constable
Scottish SPCA Airgun Campaign
-
May 2006
THE
SCOTTISH SPCA has long campaigned to highlight the animal welfare
problems posed by airgun misuse and called for tighter restrictions on
their use. They invite people to help by writing to the Home
Secretary and highlight the need for tougher airgun legislation.
>
Visit the Scottish SPCA Website
International News: Study Confirms
that Australian Gun Buy Back has made the Country a Safer Place -
April 28 2006
AUSTRALIA'S tightened gun controls,
introduced after the massacre at Port Arthur, Tasmania, in April
1996, have been followed by a remarkable reduction in gun deaths
according to a forthcoming study summarised in articles in the
Australian press. Following a decade in which Australia had
experienced a number of mass shootings none has occurred in the 10
years since the Port Arthur massacre.
> see
Article in The Age
A Second Man in Scotland is Killed with an Airgun -
17 April 2006
WITHIN THE SPACE OF TEN DAYS two men have
been killed in separate shooting incidents in Scotland involving
airguns. The first victim was killed in East Calder and the second
in Duntocher (see Incidents).
The deaths have occurred just over a year after the fatal shooting with
an airgun of toddler Andrew Morton in Easterhouse. Gun Control
Network has been campaigning for tighter controls over airguns and has
highlighted their lethality. We will be renewing our attempts to
urge the Government to do more to control these weapons.
One Gun, Eight Shootings - 31
March 2006
FORENSIC EXPERTS have linked a single
9mm semi-automatic pistol to two murders (in Digbeth in July 2005
and Birmingham city centre in 2004) and six other shootings in the
West Midlands. A police spokesman said "It is a myth to say
that there are a lot of weapons out there. They are hard to
come by so they tend to keep them.....We think criminals have
their own magazine clip of bullets and share the piece with
associates". The pistol, called Gun Six, is one of about 10
weapons used in 30 shootings across the West Midlands since the
mid-nineties.
> see
Article in Birmingham Mail
Public Urged to Report Fake Guns
- 27 March 2006
THE
PUBLIC is being urged to report the presence of guns, both real and
imitation, in their community in a campaign launched by the
independent charity Crimestoppers (tel: 0800 555 111).
The campaign is backed by the Home Office and is supported by the
Association of Chief Police Officers. It will be promoted in the
Thames Valley, Wales, Northamptonshire, South Yorkshire, West
Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, Derbyshire, Greater
Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire and West Midlands
police areas (BBC, 27 March 2006).
> see
Other
Items on Campaigns
Army's 'Lost' Guns End up on
Streets - 26 March 2006
DOZENS OF LETHAL WEAPONS have
disappeared from Britain's high-security military bases and found
their way on to the streets. Almost a hundred weapons,
including high-powered rifles, pistols and a light machine-gun
have been "lost" in recent years. Sixty three have been
stolen from the army, air force and navy over the past five years
and 34 weapons have been lost (e.g. see 5 November 2005 below).
> see
Article in Scotland on Sunday
Update - April 2006
A later report suggested that more
than 200 weapons belonging to the military have been lost or
stolen during the past nine years. The Army has had 36 SA80
rifles go missing, only 10 of which have been recovered.
Thirty nine handguns have been lost and only seven accounted for.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said that "Even one weapon going
missing is serious.......But if you think about the number of
weapons in use on a daily basis, 200 is actually a tiny
proportion".
> see
Article in The Independent
National Firearms Register
- 19 January 2006 (with Updates)
COMPUTING has reported that
trials of the national register of all firearms certificate
holders were suspended at the end of last year when they
encountered data quality problems. It is now hoped that a
start to the installation of the system will be made in April but
there is no firm target for completion of the project.
A debate on the problems with the
National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS), initiated
by Lord Marlesford, took place on 19 January.
> see
Computing Report
> see
Lords Debate in Hansard
In October 2005 we reported that:
A further delay in the roll-out of the
National Firearms Register has been admitted by the Home Office.
The delay had been due to "technical issues", but in a
BBC report a spokeswoman
said that phase two of testing would begin in November and that
the Government was "committed to beginning the roll-out to all
police forces in the new year". Lord Corbett, who was chair
of the Home Affairs Committee which called for the database to be
installed in 2000, said "There's one promise after another been
made and broken". Danny Alexander MP described the delays as
"disgraceful".
However Computer Weekly has recently
reported a successful roll-out of a firearms registry database by
Thames Valley Police.
> see
Herald Report
> see
Computer Weekly Report
Increase in Airgun Shootings Blamed for Rise
in Wildlife Crime in Scotland - 2
December 2005
According to figures released by the
Scottish Executive there was a 46 percent rise in the number of
wildlife crimes between 2000-1 and 2004-5. An increase in
airgun shootings has been blamed by animal welfare campaigners for
the rise in the crime total. A spokeswoman for the Scottish
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said "We have
definitely seen a rise the number of attacks on wildlife, and the
cases we know about are just the tip of the iceberg".
> See
Scotsman Report
Police
Warn about Buying BB Guns as
Christmas Presents
- 23 November 2005
Hertfordshire Constabulary have voiced their concerns about parents
giving BB guns to children as Christmas presents. Inspector Derek Hollick warned that "in responding to such an incident [involving a BB
gun] officers have to treat the gun as a real firearm, until they can be
absolutely sure that it is not a lethal weapon. We would ask
parents and shop owners to take this warning extremely seriously".
Other Police Forces including Greater Manchester, Lancashire,
Lincolnshire, Thames
Valley (see Poster on Home
Page) and Cambridgeshire have
issued similar warnings.
> See
Watford Observer Report
> See
Campaigns: Shops and Markets
Army Admits Ten Guns Missing
- 5 November 2005
In answer to a question from Stephen
Crabb MP, the MoD has revealed that ten British Army weapons have
gone missing in the UK in the past year. The question
followed two incidents in October in which two soldiers mislaid
weapons. A handgun and ammunition have gone missing from an
armoury at a nuclear power plant in Lancashire this month.
The weapons that went missing include four 9 mm handguns, only one
of which has been recovered, and an SA-80 rifle.
> See
Scotsman Report
Increase in Gun Crime in Scotland More than
Accounted for by Increases in Vandalism
- October 2005
The latest Gun Crime statistics from
the
Scottish Executive
show an increase in the number of offences from 974 recorded in
2003/04 to 1165 in 2004/05. However, the report indicates
that the introduction of the Scottish Crime Recording Standard
(SCRS) has increased the numbers of minor crimes recorded by the
police. The increase in gun offences is more than accounted for by increases
in crimes in the vandalism group (including reckless conduct with
firearms) and in petty assault and can be ascribed to the
introduction of SCRS. As in recent years the numbers of
offences committed with shotguns, handguns and rifles are low,
although in each category there was an increase in the number of
offences from the previous year. The majority of offences
were committed with air weapons (497, 43% of the total). The
report emphasises that the use of firearms in criminal activity
constitutes only a small proportion of all offences.
> See
Statistics
Vets Call for More Airgun
Control - 21
October 2005
A Scottish SPCA study has shown that
40% of the 155 vets surveyed had treated animals injured by
airguns in the last year, and that 46% had treated more than one
animal with an airgun wound. Four out of five of the vets
surveyed wanted tighter controls on airguns.
> See
BBC Report
Offences with Imitation Weapons Responsible
for Increase in Gun Crime in England & Wales
- 20 October 2005
Gun crime in England and Wales rose by 5%
in the year to June 2005 to a total of 11,160 offences (this excludes airgun crime)
according to provisional figures released in the
Quarterly Update on Crime in England and
Wales. However, the
increase can be attributed entirely to the continuing availability
of imitation guns. While there was a fall in the number of
incidents involving handguns (down 8%), and in the number of fatal
injuries (down from 70 to 60), there
was a large increase in crime involving imitation guns (including BB
guns) (up 28% from 2620 to 3340 incidents, nearly 30% of the total
number of incidents) and other firearms such as paintball guns and stun
guns. The increased use of this kind of weapon is once again reflected in a
large rise in the number of slight injuries from gun crime (a 65%
increase from 2190 to 3620).
> See
Details
Replica Gun Sales 'Fuel Crime Fears'
According to the Metropolitan Police - 8 October
2005
A confidential Scotland Yard report
has shown that a growing number of replica guns are being
converted to fire live ammunition. The study expresses the
concern that the conversion of fake guns has become as much of a
threat as the illegal importation of handguns. Metropolitan
Police found that 72% of the firearms seized under Operation
Trident were either imitations, air weapons, blank firers or
starter pistols that had been converted, modified or upgraded to
fire bullets. The police also expressed concerns about
weapon and the necessary components being sent by post and are
working towards closer cooperation with the postal and courier
services.
> see
BBC Report
Home Office Plans for Tough New Regulations on Airgun Sales
- 8 September 2005
The Home Office is considering limiting all
airgun sales to police approved registered firearms dealers following
talks between Home Secretary Charles Clarke and Scottish First Minister
Jack McConnell. The proposed restrictions would be UK-wide
according to the Scottish Executive.
Update:
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears introduced the move at Westminster by
tabling an amendment to the Government's Violent Crime Reduction Bill on
13 October.
> See
BBC Report
> See
Scotsman Report
Report Suggests that One in Ten
London Schoolboys 'has Carried a Gun' - 4 July 2005
A study of 11 to 15-year-olds reported that
as many as one in 10 teenage boys said they had carried a real or
replica gun in the last 12 months. Researchers from the charity
Communities That Care carried out the Safer London Youth Survey which
involved 11,400 youngsters in six inner London boroughs said
self-defence was the reason given by one-third of those who claimed to
have carried a real or fake gun. The most popular type was a BB
gun (used by around half) followed in popularity by an airgun.
> See
Times Report
Guns in the Post
- 30 June 2005
Royal Mail
received a blow from the industry regulator Postcomm which refused
the company's request to prohibit guns and ammunition being sent through
the letters service. Royal Mail said it was surprised and
disappointed by the decision which was made after a consultation
process. "The regulator's stance means Royal Mail's people will
have to handle precisely the sort of items that the government has
announced plans to ban" a spokesman said (Guardian, 30 June
2005).
> See item below from December 2004
Airguns Pose an Increasing Problem in Northern Ireland
- 10 June 2005
It is not only in Great Britain that airguns
are seen as an increasing problem. In Northern Ireland the number
of crimes involving airguns has doubled at a time when the number of
crimes in which handguns, shotguns, rifles and imitations are used is
falling. The Belfast Telegraph (20 June 2005) reported that
there has been a series of recent attacks using air-powered weapons
including attacks on people, pets and vehicles in Ulster. Between
2001-2002 and 2004-2005 the number of incidents involving airguns rose
from 142 to 283. A week later a two-year-old boy was reported to
have been shot in the head with an airgun outside his Belfast home (PA
News, 27 June 2005).
Government Announces Ban
on the Manufacture, Import and Sale of Imitation Guns
- 8 June 2005
As was signalled by Tony Blair earlier in
the year the Government is to clamp down on the availability of
imitation guns by banning the manufacture, import and sale of
"realistic" imitation guns. There will be some exemptions,
including the use in theatrical performances or in film and television
productions, but it will be illegal for anybody under the age of 18 to
buy any kind of replica firearm. Tougher manufacturing standards
are to be introduced to prevent imitation firearms being converted to
fire real ammunition. The measures are part of the Violent Crime
Reduction Bill.
Previously it had been suggested by the Home
Office that is was not possible to introduce legislation because of the
difficulty in defining an imitation gun. However it now covers
anything "that any reasonable person could mistake for a firearm."
Gun Control Network is delighted with this
announcement as we have been highlighting the increasing dangers of the
proliferation of imitation guns for a number of years and have been
advocating a ban on their sale, manufacture and import. We
congratulate the Home Office ministers for taking this bold step which
can only help to improve public safety and reduce the fear of gun crime
in our communities.
Scotland may get Tougher Airgun Laws
- 10 June 2005
According to press articles First Minister
Jack McConnell is prepared to take the unprecedented step of extending
the powers of the Scottish Parliament to bring in tough new gun laws.
He will introduce a major new licensing system for airguns in Scotland.
Anyone buying an air weapon will have to apply for a permit, provide
their details and give a satisfactory explanation as to why they need a
gun. Mr McConnell would like to extend the permit system to the
owners of all existing airguns in Scotland. Some of the measures
could be introduced through the existing licensing powers of the
Scottish Parliament, though the second phase of the proposals would
almost certainly mean interfering with the UK gun law, which is reserved
to Westminster. A later report in Scotland on Sunday
suggested that "Whitehall" might "spoil plans for Scottish airgun
licence".
A campaign to remove airguns from Scotland's
streets had resulted in almost 500 airguns being handed in to police by
the beginning of May (BBC, 5May 2005)
> See
Scotsman article
> See
Scotland on Sunday article
Home Secretary
Promises an Announcement on Air Weapons
- 2 May 2005
During a pre-election visit to Scotland,
Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced that there would be a decision
on measures to control the use of airguns by the end of July. He
said "We are looking at licensing and we are looking at an outright ban.
We have to find something that is practical." He added that the
kind of abuse which has led to some appalling crimes in Scotland and
elsewhere was not acceptable and that the Government is determined to
drive it out. He also announced that he intended to make it more
difficult for imitation or replica guns to be converted for use, and it
would become illegal to buy imitation firearms under the age of 18.
The Government's intention to introduce
stronger controls over imitation firearms and ball-bearing guns was
announced in the Queen's speech on 17 May.
> See
PA News article
Gun Crime
in England and Wales increases, but Rise is due to Incidents with
Imitation Guns - 21 April 2005
Gun crime in England and Wales rose by 10%
in a year to a total of 11,082 incidents (this excludes airgun crime)
according to data from the final three months of 2004. However the
increase can be attributed entirely to the continuing availability
of imitation guns. While there was a fall in the number of
incidents involving handguns (down 13%), and in the number of fatal
injuries (down 9% to 70) and serious injuries (down 12% to 390), there
was a large increase in crime involving imitation guns (including BB
guns) (up 66% from 1965 to 3268 incidents, nearly 30% of the total
number of incidents) and other firearms such as paintball guns and stun
guns. The increased use of this kind of weapon is reflected in a
large rise in the number of slight injuries from gun crime (a 74%
increase from 1754 in 2003 to 3051in 2004).
> See
PA News article
on Gun Crime Figures
Further
Calls
for Tighter Air Weapon Controls
- March 2005
Among those calling for tighter controls on
guns following Glasgow toddler Andrew Morton's death were:
-
Mary Bousted, general secretary of the
Association of Teachers and Lecturers, speaking at the ATL annual
conference. She said that strict rules on ownership of guns must
be maintained. Her comments came after a school pupil in America
shot dead 10 people, including children and staff.
Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell did
not rule out further legislation saying that "If further legislation is
required, and if it is in the best interest of Scotland we will push for
that legislation.
Michael Howard
Refuses to back Tough Measures on Airguns
- 18 March 2005
On a visit to Scotland only a few days after
toddler Andrew Morton died after being shot in the head with an airgun,
Conservative leader Michael Howard said that the solution was that "We
want those who do have access to weapons to behave responsibly."
Despite mounting evidence of the widespread misuse of airguns, he gave
no indication about how responsible use could be achieved.
Expressing his distaste for the banning of guns, he added that "I was
Home Secretary at the time of the terrible tragedy of Dunblane and we
did impose restrictions after that. I think the Government went
too far in banning handguns altogether, so I don't think banning things
necessarily solves problems." A Conservative spokesman was later
quoted as saying that "The party has no intention of reversing the ban
on handguns."
At a time when many other politicians
believe that only the licensing of airguns or even a ban provides an
adequate solution to a growing problem, words from the Leader of the
Opposition about responsibility are highly unlikely to bring about a
change in attitude among some gun owners who use their weapons to cause
misery and trauma to others. GCN's Mick North was quoted as saying
"Michael Howard needs to stop dealing in idealism and look at the
reality." Michael Howard's remarks were criticised by Andrew
Morton's mother Sharon McMillan.
> See
Scotsman article
Man found
Guilty of Manslaughter
after "Horseplay" leads to Airgun Shooting of his Friend
- 10 March 2005
A Castleford man has been found guilty of
manslaughter after he shot his friend in the head with a powerful air
rifle at his flat. He had pointed the gun at his friend and pulled
the trigger not realising it was loaded. The rifle had been
modified to make it twice as powerful as an ordinary air rifle. He
had admitted a separate charge of possessing a firearm without a
relevant certificate. The death was described as an accidental
killing. However, it was revealed in court that the men would
often fire unloaded weapons at each other "so they could feel the rush
of air discharged from the barrel". A witness, a friend of the two
men, said that "We would go hunting with air rifles and dogs. I have
seen lots of people aim a gun at somebody and pull the trigger. It is
messing about because you know it is not loaded."
Toddler's Death prompts Calls for
Tougher Action on Airguns
- March 2005
The tragic death of Andrew Morton, a
2-year-old boy, who was hit in the head by an airgun pellet in
Easterhouse, Glasgow, has prompted a number of calls for tougher action
on airguns. Andrew was shot with an airgun that was apparently
fired from the window of a flat. Current legislation provides
little control over airguns in private property. Scottish
politicians including First Minister Jack McConnell and Justice Minister
Cathy Jamieson have spoken of the need to review the law and are quoted
as having not ruled out a ban. However, firearms legislation is a
reserved matter and is dealt with by the UK Government in Westminster.
GCN, which has been campaigning for years
for tighter regulation of airguns, wants all lethal guns to be licensed.
Andrew's death has proved yet again that airguns are lethal and the
ownership and use must be subject to tighter control.
Newspapers, including the Evening Times
(Glasgow) and the News of the World, immediately published
stories describing how easy it was to buy high-powered airguns from gun
shops or on the street.
> See
GCN Press Release and Comment
> See
Quotes
> See
BBC article
In the week following Andrew's death the
response to the airgun problem has been met with apparently different
degrees of concern from Westminster and Edinburgh politicians. In
answer to a question from Jeffrey Ennis MP Prime Minister Tony Blair has
urged caution, but Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell, answering a
question from Frank McAveety MSP, was much braver saying that is was
also
important that we do not rule out even the most severe action that we
could take. He said "I think we need to make it more
difficult to acquire air guns, to make sure that there are less air guns
in circulation." He encouraged parents to assist in getting
airguns off the streets by handing in their children's weapons.
> See
BBC article on Tony Blair's comments
> See
ePolitix article on Jack McConnell's comments
Gun Crime Figures
Highlight Urgent Need for More Action on Imitation Guns - January 2005
> See
GCN Press Release for details
Tory Parliamentary Candidate
Dropped after Photographs with Guns
- January 2005
The Conservative prospective
parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Slough has been dropped by the party
after the Sun newspaper revealed that 11 images of with guns, including
an AK-47 assault rifle, had appeared on the internet. Robert
Oulds, a local councillor in the London Borough of Hounslow, said that
the photos were taken at the home of a friend of his who was a member of
a licensed gun club as well as the Conservative association. He
claimed that all the guns were legal, including the AK-47, which has
been changed to fire single shots. The BBC has reported that Oulds
has now been dismissed as PPC although he has said that he has not
tendered his resignation.
> See
Report
Royal Mail Calls
for a Ban on the Posting of Firearms
- December 2004
Because
of the disruption caused when a sporting or replica gun or other weapon
is discovered in sorting offices, Royal Mail is calling for a ban on the
posting of firearms. Mail centres had to be evacuated several
times in 2004 because of the discovery of weapons. Royal Mail
suggests that Parcelforce and other parcels firms could continue to carry
firearms.
Judge tells Gun Club Members that the Kernel of their Offending "Lay in your Fascination with Guns" -
November 2004
Two gun club officials jailed for 10 years
and 9 years after being found guilty of making sub-machine guns for the
underworld were told at the Old Bailey by Judge Peter Beaumont that they
had allowed their fascination [with guns] to over-ride their sense of
responsibility." Both men were members of Morecambe Rifle and
Pistol club and were convicted of other offences including further
charges of manufacturing prohibited weapons and possession of firearms
with intent to enable another to endanger life.
> See
Press Article
West Yorkshire Police
give Stern Advice over Ball-Bearing Guns - November 2004
West Yorkshire Police have issued the
following advice to parents: Do not let your children have ball-bearing
guns this Christmas. The warning follows a spate of incidents
across the area where armed police have had to tackle youths with
realistic-looking guns. Similar advice has been issued by the
Deputy Chief Constable of Derbyshire (Belper Today, 24 November
2004)
> See
Press Article
> See
What Other Polices Forces are
Doing
Gun Crime in
Scotland falls Again - October 2004
The latest annual figures for gun incidents
in Scotland (for the year 2003) show an overall fall of 9% from the
previous year. There was a total of 970 offences; handguns were
used in only 29 cases. The number of cases in which someone was
injured or killed fell by 24% to 225. Only two gun homicides were
recorded. Those who talk about gun crime spiralling out of control
in Great Britain and the failure of new firearms legislation always
overlook the more optimistic situation in Scotland.
> See
Scottish Gun Crime Figures
Mixed News on
Hi-tech Systems - October 2004
West Midlands Police have won international
recognition after developing a hi-tech system to track the illegal sale
of firearms on the internet. They have worked closely with eBay
UK. However, if the system is in operation GCN is sceptical about
its success as our own members have been reporting numerous instances of
gun sales on eBay, some apparently illegal. Together with Steve
McCabe MP, GCN highlighted the dangers of internet sites for gun sales
at a recent press conference.
> See Report in
"PA" News
> See GCN's Concerns about
Internet Gun Sales
Although promised seven years ago after
publication of the Cullen Report into the Dunblane massacre the firearms
database has been put on hold once again after problems were identified
in pilot tests. The main problems concern the system's extremely
slow operation, and its inability to print actual firearms licence
certificates.
> See Report in
Computing
> See Article from
Scotland on Sunday
Home Office Advisor
says Gun Crime is Low but must be Nipped in the Bud - October 2004
Former US policeman Paul Evans, who now
heads the Home Office's police standards unit, told the Commons home
affairs committee that Britain's gun crime problem is "very, very small"
but it needs to be "nipped in the bud before it snowballs out of
control". Mr Evans said it was critical to identify the source of
the firearms. At the same meeting Sir Keith Povey, Chief Inspector
of Constabulary, reminded MPs that gun crime represents 0.02% of overall
crime and that deaths from shooting had fallen last year (from 93 to 81
in England and Wales). Their comments were made in the wake of the
shooting of Danielle Beccan, which prompted headlines about gun crime
spiralling out of control in Britain.
> See article in
The Guardian
MPs and Wildlife Activists
Demand Ban on Lamping - October 2004
The Independent on Sunday reported
that leading wildlife supporters and MPs have called for a review of the
law on lamping, the practice of shooting animals at night with the aid
of bright lights. In two recent incidents one boy was fatally shot
and another critically injured. Bill Oddie described lamping as "a
hooligan activity"; Tony Banks MP said that "Gun laws must be greatly
tightened and penalties substantially increased". An earlier
article described an email bulletin board, AirGunBBS, which has dozens
of messages from lampers using such sign-ons as "rabbit blaster".
> See the article in
Independent on Sunday and an earlier
detailed report
"Lampers are the 'thugs of the countryside'"
Police Slam BASC's Airgun Proposals - September 2004
At a time when everyone claims to be
concerned about the levels of gun crime, and when most people agree that
guns should be kept out of the hands of those who might misuse them, the
British Association of Shooting and Conservation decided to propose a
scheme for Nottinghamshire in which young offenders could be armed with
airguns. The scheme would have involved airgun training for
ex-convicts. BASC's naive belief is that teaching people to fire
guns "responsibly" makes them think twice about using them dangerously.
BASC is an organisation that actively seeks to encourage shooting.
GCN was pleased to see that the scheme
received immediate condemnation from Nottinghamshire's Chief Constable
Steve Green, John Clarke, chairman of Notts Police Authority, local MP
Vernon Coaker and Janice Collins of Mothers Against Guns, whose son was
shot dead in Nottingham in 2002.
> The issue was covered by the
Nottingham Evening Post
Home Office Launches Connected
Fund - September 2004
The Home Office has created the Connected
Fund which is aimed to support those at the front line of the fight
against guns. Minister Caroline Flint said that they "want to
ensure that small community groups are not prevented from doing valuable
work for the want of a small amount of funding". The money has
been provided from cash seized from criminals.
> See details from
The Home Office
Gun Crime Down in
London - July 2004
Figures released by the Metropolitan Police
indicate a significant decrease in shooting incidents in London during
the first six months of 2004 compared with the previous year.
The picture in the West Midlands was not so
good with three major gun crime incidents every day in 2003, according
to police figures reported in September.
Gun Destruction Day
- July 2004
As part of a worldwide Global Week of Action
against Small Arms campaigners in the UK participated in Gun Destruction
Day on 9 July 2004. The events were organised to highlight the
need for an Arms Trade Treaty to control the trade in small arms.
Home Office Publishes
Consultation Paper on Firearms Legislation
The Home Office has published a consultation
paper on firearms legislation and has invited all interested parties to
respond by 31 August 2004. Gun Control Network will be giving a
detailed response which will appear on this website later in the summer.
GCN has submitted its response to the Consultation Paper.
> Read the
Consultation Paper
> Read
