Crackdown on sale of airguns

Home Office minister Hazel Blears said that in future only Registered Firearms Dealers approved by the police would be able to sell an air rifle or pistol.

All sales will also have to take place face-to-face with checks on the identity and age of the purchaser. It is hoped the measures will deter casual and irresponsible sales of airguns at car boot sales, market stalls and corner shops.

And it will effectively end anonymous internet and mail order sales of the weapons.

The Government acted after a string of incidents including the killing of two-year-old Andrew Morton who was hit in the head by a pellet from an air rifle near his home in Easterhouse, Glasgow.

Mrs Blears introduced the move at Westminster by tabling an amendment to the Government's Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

But the measure falls short of calls for a full licensing and certification system demanded by campaigners and the Scottish National Party.

A Government spokesman said such a move would be impractical and very expensive with some seven million air weapons already in circulation.

She said that although this system, where a dealer would have to keep a record of the transaction, would only apply to the sale of new air weapons, ministers were actively looking at if there was any way they could bring in a regulatory system governing the private sale of second-hand weapons.

Mrs Blears said: "The Government utterly condemns the misuse of air weapons and is determined to tackle the problem.

"Over the last few months we have listened to representations, including from the police and from colleagues in Scotland on how we can prevent even more airguns getting into the wrong hands."

But SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said the plans did not go far enough: "Only a short time ago First Minister Jack McConnell was talking in terms of an outright ban on airguns, but clearly he has little impact on his Westminster colleagues.

"It is not enough simply to restrict the sale of airguns - we also need to impose strict conditions on who can acquire airguns and where they can be used."

Scottish Tory justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell said: "It is for the First Minister to explain whether these measures meet up to the tough rhetoric of just a few months ago."

UNDER the new legislation, anyone selling air weapons by way of trade or business will have to be registered with the police, pay a 150 fee, prove they are a fit person to hold a certificate and show their business does not present a danger to the public.

They will be required to keep records of transactions, including the name, address and age of the purchaser, and ensure security measures are in place to prevent the weapons falling into the wrong hands.

Registration will be withdrawn if the dealer becomes a danger to public safety - for example by selling air weapons to someone under age.

The maximum punishment for selling firearms without registration will be five years in prison or an unlimited fine or both.