U.k. "bb Guns At Pocket-money Prices"

[cuchulainn]

from the This is Plymouth site

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/dis...layContent&sourceNode=98877&contentPK=5362654

BB GUNS AT POCKET-MONEY PRICES

12:00 - 28 April 2003

It is terrifying how easy is it to get your hands on an imitation firearm, writes Herald Crime Reporter Jayne Freer. Armed with a £5 note I headed into Plymouth to hunt out a supplier.

It wasn't long before I stumbled across a batch of realistic-looking BB (ball-bearing) guns stacked alongside a girl's hair braiding kit.

After handing over my cash with no questions asked, I was armed with what could have easily been misinterpreted as a real and lethal weapon.

All for the bargain price of £3.99.

It is almost identical to that brandished by Lee Whitting when he stormed into a Colebrook shop on March 14 and robbed the terrified assistant of £250 in cash. The 32-year-old shop worker is still haunted by Whitting's acts that evening.

Currently there is no law against people owning replica guns and, unlike firearms, there is no age limit for buying BB guns - although mine had a 'Not suitable for persons under 14' warning written on the box.

During my time as crime reporter on the Evening Herald, I have reported on countless incidents of young children, pensioners and animals being shot and injured with air gun pellets.

And time and time again chief police officers have warned of the dangers of replica guns and constantly called for tougher legislation.

As the law stands people are free to walk into any airgun shop and buy a rifle for less than £100, without any kind of licence or supervision.

However, the Government is making some move towards tightening up gun laws with the illegal possession of a firearm punishable by five years in jail.

Penalties are also being increased for possession of imitation firearms or air weapons in public.

But Devon and Cornwall's Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Arnold has already warned this does not go far enough.

He says it still fails to cover BB guns which continue to be the bane of a firearms officer's life.

Each and every week, armed police squads are called to gun-related incidents, many of which turn out to be children playing with BB guns.

 

[WonderNine]

It is terrifying how easy it is to get your hands on an imitation firearm, writes Herald Crime Reporter Jayne Freer.

After handing over my cash with no questions asked, I was armed with what could have easily been misinterpreted as a real and lethal weapon.

You know, the most terrifying thing is that this isn't a parody.....

 

[mtnbkr]

Sad.

I'm convinced the main reason Great Britain has a thriving pellet rifle industry is their gun laws. Some of the best pellet rifles are British. They take them seriously over there. I wonder what will fill the void when pellet rifles are illegal.

Chris

 

[Standing Wolf]

It is terrifying how easy is it to get your hands on an imitation firearm...

I've lost lots of sleep over it myself. Terrifying. Just absolutely, utterly terrifying!

Rarely does a day pass when I fail to feel grateful to our forefathers for having rebelled against the English and founded a republic.

 

[WonderNine]

Personally, I don't like immitation anything. Immitation crab, leather, sheepskin, hamburger, guns, whatever....ban it all I says! It all just gives me the creeps.

ban ban ban!

 

[Tamara]

You wonder how people like this summon up the superhuman courage it must take for them to crawl out from under the covers in the morning and face the big, dangerous world.

 

[Soap]

I don't get it...the Brits will go to war alongside us but yet their populace feels inclined to fret over BB guns? I'm ashamed of a lot of the stuff in this country, I hope the British are shamed about this.





"That's why yours says replica and mine says Desert Eagle point five-o."