Tougher gun laws start, after Keyham

PEOPLE with a record of violence or domestic abuse will be prevented from owning firearms under new rules following a series of killings in recent years.

- CHRISTOPHER MCKEON

The new guidance, being issued today, comes in response to concerns raised by coroners and campaigners, after shootings in Keyham, in Plymouth, and Woodmancote, West Sussex.

Police officers will be instructed to interview partners or other household members of people applying for a firearms licence to identify signs of domestic abuse or other factors that could make someone unsuitable to own a weapon.

They must carry out additional checks to ensure people with a record of violence are not permitted to hold a firearms licence.

The move comes two years after an inquest found that "catastrophic failures" in the licensing system had meant Keyham gunman Jake Davison had been allowed to own a shotgun, despite his history of violence.