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Calls stepped up for airgun action
 

Justice minister Kenny MacAskill today stepped up calls for Westminster to take action to deal with the problem of air weapons in Scotland.

The minister said he would be contacting Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and making it clear current legislation is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century.

He added that he would be seeking to put Scotland forward for pilot schemes with a view to getting tighter controls in air weapons across the whole of the UK.

Mr MacAskill was speaking after a firearms summit in Edinburgh, attended by police, shooting representatives and gun control campaigners.

These included Dr Mick North, whose daughter Sophie was among the 16 children killed in the Dunblane tragedy, and Sharon McMillan, whose two-year-old son Andrew Morton died after being hit with an airgun pellet near his Glasgow home.

But Ms Smith declined to take part in today's events.

Mr MacAskill said the meeting was "constructive" and spoke of the way forward from here to tackle Scotland's "significant problem" with guns.

He said: "What is quite clear is that the current legislation we have is inadequate.

"I'll be seeking to make it clear to Jacqui Smith that the view of Scotland is that the current legislation doesn't properly protect our communities."

He said he would be making representations to Ms Smith in the wake of the summit.

Publication date 08/05/08

Posted by: I Predict A Riot, Glasgow on 11:58pm Thu 8 May 08
There are a lot more people killed by cars than airguns,are we going to ban them.Personally I think there is more of a problem with knives on the streets than airguns.
Posted by: Bear, Glasgow on 8:33pm Fri 9 May 08
I Predict A Riot wrote:
There are a lot more people killed by cars than airguns,are we going to ban them.Personally I think there is more of a problem with knives on the streets than airguns.
hiv tae agree wi ye. a hive an airgun do a shoot pepel wi it NO. We obey current law an shoot were we posed tae. ma dad carrys ma airgun there coz am no allowed tae coz am 2 young.
no need mess wi laws coz end o day bannin em wont stop gun crime. idiots will still get hands on airguns. so why pick on aw airgunners coz o wit a few idiots do. there is more knifes on streets than airguns like u sed.
Posted by: trench, possilpark on 10:51am Sat 10 May 08
what is the use of an airgun?
Posted by: Bear, Glasgow on 8:13pm Sun 11 May 08
trench wrote:
what is the use of an airgun?
Ye kin compete at competitions wi em. then theres guys wi air rifles who compete in field competitions. theres an air gunners asociatoin in uk if ye wanna no more trench :)
it no guns that prob it pepel.
Posted by: Bear, Glasgow on 8:15pm Sun 11 May 08
o they also used tae kill rats an stuff by guys thta paid to kill em.
Posted by: Bear, Glasgow on 8:22pm Sun 11 May 08
wish ye cud edit posts ere but ye canny eres a link 4 ye trench.

http://www.airgunsho
oting.org/

there stuff there that tell u aw bout airgun shooting plus law.
Posted by: trench, possilpark on 3:19am Mon 12 May 08
thanks bear, it was good of you to send the link on airguns,unfortuneatl
y some of the weapons end up in the wrong hands,can you imagine some loony getting the hold of one!!the damage that it can cause, rats and other vermin along with other rodents can be killed ,as long as the farmer has allowed it.
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