Opinions divided over new shotgun law proposals

Changes to gun licensing laws proposed following the shooting of five people are being opposed by farmers, pest controllers and shooting enthusiasts.

The government is considering plans to introduce the same licensing rules for shotgun owners as currently exist for rifle owners.

The proposals come in response to the Keyham shooting in Plymouth in 2021 in which five people were killed by a licensed shotgun holder.

The changes have been welcomed by Luke Pollard, the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, who said the existing rules were "broken." But opponents say the reforms would "devastate" shotgun businesses and cause thousands of job losses.

At a debate in Westminster the government said it was "open-minded" how to proceed and no decision had yet been made.

But Pollard said the proposals were about saving lives and avoiding a repeat of the tragedy in Keyham five years ago.

"Despite some positive changes we have seen in recent years, thanks to the campaign after Keyham, it is still not in the place where they need to be," said Pollard.

"We need to see bigger changes and we need to be bolder about how we implement them. This is about savings lives."

Pollard said people in Plymouth had been killed because of bad gun laws that were poorly implemented.

He added: "As we approach the fifth anniversary of this appalling tragedy, I want to make the case calmly and clearly that I don't yet feel that we've made sufficient changes to prevent a tragedy like Keyham ever happening again.

"That's why we need to take the case as a community, without hysteria, hyperbole or exaggeration, to basically say 'these rules aren't working, they could work better, here's a way that we do that'.

"If we get that right, it would work for legitimate shooters and for communities, like Plymouth, who don't want to see this happen ever again."

Pollard said he was in favour of a "DVLA for guns", a national administration body which would handle all gun licences.

But a gun shop owner said the change would force him to close after 45 years of business and the Gun Trade Association claimed the proposals could cause 20,000 job losses across the country.

Andy Whitemore, owner of Avalon Guns in Street, Somerset, said the government proposals addressed a problem that did not exist and would have a "devastating" impact on all aspects of the shooting industry.

He said: "The industry is absolutely sound - we've got the most stringent gun laws in the world at the moment.

"The effect of change on the deals that we would do in a year would put us out of business."

One of Avalon's customers, Alex Martin, who runs Lillycombe Shooting estate on Exmoor, said the proposals would have an "immediate effect" on his business and the 40 to 50 employees.

He said: "But then you have a secondary effect on the hotels, the pubs, the bars, the restaurants."

At Mendip Shooting Ground in Somerset, members of the University of Bath Clay Pigeon Shooting Club said changes to licensing would lead to fewer members.

Alex Hill, director of Mendip Shooting Ground, said: "As it gets harder to get a certificate less people will be likely to join up and want to do it as a sport."

At the conclusion of the inquests into the Keyham deaths, the families of the victims all called for changes to gun licensing laws.

Patrick Maguire, a solicitor who represented some of the families, read a statement to the media in which he said: "We now want seismic change and a complete overhaul of the firearms licensing system and legislation in England and Wales."

He added: "We hope that change can come so no other family has to endure the torment of what we have been and still are going through."

The coroner, Ian Arrow, issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report which said current gun laws were "at odds with public safety".

He added he was concerned the current law meant there were "less stringent" restrictions on shotguns than firearms despite shotguns being "no less lethal".

The inquest jury found there had been a "catastrophic failure in the management of the firearms licensing department at Devon and Cornwall Police".

The issue was debated by MPs on 23 February after more than 120,000 people signed a petition against the proposed changes.

Blake Stephenson, Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said: "Tragedies have arisen from failures in the system, outdated technology and administrative gaps, not from the distinction between certificate types."

He said aligning shotgun and firearms certification would "generate significant unintended consequences" including an "increased strain on already overstretched police licensing teams, slower processing times and higher costs for responsible shotgun owners".

Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Somerton and Glastonbury, said it was "highly likely increasing barriers to obtaining a firearms licence will drive people out of shooting".

She said: "Gun controls should be strengthened only when there is a clear necessity to protect public safety."

The minister for policing and crime, Sarah Jones MP, said: "Although cases where people have been killed are small in number, they are uniquely horrific for their impact on the immediate family and community, and on the country."

Jones said there was "an opportunity to look at whether we should have a national licensing system" as part of the government's plans to set up a new National Police Service.

A consultation is being carried out and the minister said no decision had been made.

She said: "We are open-minded about what would be the right course."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Firearms licensing controls are crucial to keep the public safe. Legally held shotguns have been used in a number of homicides in recent years.

"We will be consulting on strengthening the controls on shotguns to consider bringing them more into line with the controls on other firearms."

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