Better education and enforcement answer to airgun incidents

Friday, May 18, 2012

 

LETTERSFrom Dan Reynolds, regional director, BASC South East:

The UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), condemns the illegal use of airguns (Scum shot my pet cat through eye - CP, 11-05-12).

There are some seven million airguns estimated to be owned in the UK. They have a legitimate role in pest control, especially where more powerful firearms are unsuitable. They are also used safely and responsibly for target practice and competition shooting and are used in Olympic events. The answer is not more licensing, which would impose a huge administrative burden on the police. The answer is education and enforcement of existing laws. Under 18s cannot buy so much as an airgun pellet. The law makes no distinction between a firearms offence committed with a low-powered airgun and one committed with a shotgun or rifle and there are more than 30 offences which cover the use of airguns.

BASC plays an important role in educating airgun users and publishes a code of practice.

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