A BAN on Scotland going it alone to outlaw airguns has been slammed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

He hit out after the Home Office in London told Scottish ministers it would be "potentially damaging" for them to be given control of gun laws.

An angry Mr MacAskill accused the UK Government of ignoring serious crime in Scotland, and of undermining Labour claims they want to extend Holyrood powers.

Latest figures reveal airguns have killed three Scots and injured 1154 in the past eight years.

Although Nationalists have not put forward firm proposals for a ban, they have said in the past that action needs to be taken.

Mr MacAskill said today: "I'm extremely disappointed that the Westminster Government has not recognised Scotland needs responsibility for firearms legislation to deal with this extremely serious problem in Scotland, particularly air weapon crime."

The family of two-year-old Andrew Morton, who died after being hit on the head with an airgun pellet two years ago in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow, have campaigned for a change in the law.

They have collected more than 11,000 signatures supporting a ban.

Labour's justice spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said cross-border firearms laws were the best solution for tackling gun crime.

She added: "The SNP's demand that gun crime legislation should be handed to Holyrood is unworkable."