Kenny MacAskill targets law on air guns

Published on 05/07/2012 02:09

THE LAW on air guns is long overdue for reform, the justice secretary has said.

Kenny MacAskill spoke out the day after Holyrood was handed powers over the weapons as part of the Scotland Act, restating his commitment to strengthening the law on air weapons.

At the moment, people do not require a licence to have an air gun.

Yesterday, after visiting police headquarters in Glenrothes, Fife, Mr MacAskill said: “This government believes that the law around unlicensed air guns is long overdue for reform.”

He added that the Scottish Firearms Consultative Panel, which was set up to consider the options for licensing air guns, had been developing proposals and consultation on the issue will be launched before the end of this year.

Just weeks ago the justice secretary had said Holyrood owed it to the memory of a toddler who died after being shot with an air gun to pass laws to regulate their ownership, and use, as soon as possible.

Mr MacAskill recently met with the parents of Andrew Morton, who have been campaigning for control of air weapons since their two-year-old son was shot and killed in March 2005.