Gale McMillan
Member In Memoriam
The Home Affairs Select Committee will publish a report next month
outlining curbs on the weapons.
> They believe that the guns are increasingly being
> used in robberies and also cost lives as a result of accidents and being
misused by teenagers. MPs
> also believe that the restrictions on handguns
> since Dunblane massacre has been a success and think that a similar
purge should be aimed at
> airguns.
>
> Under the proposals all sales of the airguns will be banned from the
internet, and mail-order
> sales will also be restricted. Another proposal is for an
> airgun amnesty, a month long annual event at police stations during
which the public will be asked
> to surrender the weapons.
>
> The move will cause outrage in country areas where the guns are widely
used in sport. Country
> dwellers believe their traditional way of life has been
> threatened by the collapse in farm prices, the threatened ban on
foxhunting and the Government's
> plans to build new housing estates.
>
> But despite this, MPs are determined to take action to cut the number of
air rifles and air
> pistols in circulation. There are more than 4.5 million air rifles
> in Britain and controls over their sale are limited. At the moment
people buying the weapons have
> to be over 16, although they can be used, but not
> owned, by anyone over 14.
>
> The MPs were shocked by some cases of the guns being responsible for
tragic deaths of teenagers.
> Last July, George Atkinson, 13, was shot as he
> played with his sister and cousins in the garden of their house near
Wrexham, North Wales. He was
> critically injured when a pellet hit him in the neck
> and lodged in his brain.
>
> Also last year, Thomas Stafford, 16, a pupil at Shiplake College,
Berkshire, died from an air
> rifle pellet. He had been staying at the home of his sister's
> boyfriend in Bleasdale, Lancashire, and collapsed with a wound to the
head shortly after he and a
> gamekeeper had returned from a day's shooting with
> air rifles.
>
> The police also told MPs that they are concerned about guns being used
in crimes. Government
> figures show that 8,615 criminal offences using
> airguns were committed in 1998. The MPs believe that restricting sales
to properly supervised
> shops and banning other outlets could reduce the
> numbers of weapons sold. If no improvement in misuse figures are shown
by the measures, a
> licensing scheme could be introduced.
>
> The scheme was inspired early last year by Chris Mullin, the Home
Affairs Select Committee's then
> chairman who is now a minister at the Department
> of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. He has been a long-time
campaigner for more
> controls over airguns. Many changes in the law have
> been inspired by similar reports.
>
> -------[Cybershooters contacts]--------
>
> Editor: cybershooters@compuserve.com Website & subscription info: http://www.cybershooters.org
>
> Forwarded for information and hopefully action by all airgun shooters
>
> Jim Craig; Secretary, Dechmont Airgun Club, GLASGOW
>
> http://www.i5elements.force9.co.uk/
outlining curbs on the weapons.
> They believe that the guns are increasingly being
> used in robberies and also cost lives as a result of accidents and being
misused by teenagers. MPs
> also believe that the restrictions on handguns
> since Dunblane massacre has been a success and think that a similar
purge should be aimed at
> airguns.
>
> Under the proposals all sales of the airguns will be banned from the
internet, and mail-order
> sales will also be restricted. Another proposal is for an
> airgun amnesty, a month long annual event at police stations during
which the public will be asked
> to surrender the weapons.
>
> The move will cause outrage in country areas where the guns are widely
used in sport. Country
> dwellers believe their traditional way of life has been
> threatened by the collapse in farm prices, the threatened ban on
foxhunting and the Government's
> plans to build new housing estates.
>
> But despite this, MPs are determined to take action to cut the number of
air rifles and air
> pistols in circulation. There are more than 4.5 million air rifles
> in Britain and controls over their sale are limited. At the moment
people buying the weapons have
> to be over 16, although they can be used, but not
> owned, by anyone over 14.
>
> The MPs were shocked by some cases of the guns being responsible for
tragic deaths of teenagers.
> Last July, George Atkinson, 13, was shot as he
> played with his sister and cousins in the garden of their house near
Wrexham, North Wales. He was
> critically injured when a pellet hit him in the neck
> and lodged in his brain.
>
> Also last year, Thomas Stafford, 16, a pupil at Shiplake College,
Berkshire, died from an air
> rifle pellet. He had been staying at the home of his sister's
> boyfriend in Bleasdale, Lancashire, and collapsed with a wound to the
head shortly after he and a
> gamekeeper had returned from a day's shooting with
> air rifles.
>
> The police also told MPs that they are concerned about guns being used
in crimes. Government
> figures show that 8,615 criminal offences using
> airguns were committed in 1998. The MPs believe that restricting sales
to properly supervised
> shops and banning other outlets could reduce the
> numbers of weapons sold. If no improvement in misuse figures are shown
by the measures, a
> licensing scheme could be introduced.
>
> The scheme was inspired early last year by Chris Mullin, the Home
Affairs Select Committee's then
> chairman who is now a minister at the Department
> of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. He has been a long-time
campaigner for more
> controls over airguns. Many changes in the law have
> been inspired by similar reports.
>
> -------[Cybershooters contacts]--------
>
> Editor: cybershooters@compuserve.com Website & subscription info: http://www.cybershooters.org
>
> Forwarded for information and hopefully action by all airgun shooters
>
> Jim Craig; Secretary, Dechmont Airgun Club, GLASGOW
>
> http://www.i5elements.force9.co.uk/