Officials in Miami Dade County are the latest planning to sue the firearms industry for the soaring cost of dealing with gun-related deaths.

Dade County are preparing a law suit demanding compensation for handling more than 730 fatal shootings over the past two years.

Miami Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas: "Line in the sand"

They estimate the medical, legal and police costs have come to $850m.

Similar actions are already under way in Chicago and New Orleans.

New Orelans led the way after filing a law suit against 15 major gun manufacturers in October.

Chicago names 22 manufacturers, 12 gun shops and four individual gun distributors in a suit filed this month.

San Fransisco and Philadelphia are also believed to be interested in taking legal action.

The cities are using similar tactics employed by most American states which have forced the tobacco companies to compensate them for treating cigarette-related illnesses.

Right to bear arms

But the mayor of Dade County, Alex Penelas, says the intention is not to end Americans' right to bear arms.

The aim is to force gun manufacturers to employ new technology to prevent weapons being fired by anyone other than the legal owner.

Mr Penelas said: "I think that would make this a much safer country, one that would dramatically decrease our crime rate."

"Violence is literally destroying this country - and I hope this law suit, among other things, will make this a safer country."

He and other campaigners say they want to stop accidents involving children and crimes involving stolen weapons.

But gun manufacturers believe they are being made scapegoats for the failure of cities to curb crime.

A spokesman for the American Shooting Sports Council, which is a defendant in the New Orleans case, said the spate of actions were aimed at squeezing the industry out of existence.