Hundreds of people shot in capital in past decade
A SHOCKING number of people have been shot in London and needed hospital treatment in recent years, according to NHS data.
Figures reveal nearly 2,000 people in the capital needed hospital treatment for gun-related injuries in just 10 years.
Between 2006/07 and 2016/17, there were 1,934 instances of people being admitted to London hospitals with gunshot wounds – that’s the equivalent of 16 people a month for the past 10 years.
While most injuries were due to the accidental discharge of a weapon, on 621 occasions someone was hurt during an assault.
In the past year alone, 148 people were hospitalised in London for wounds from firearms, including 92 accidents and 56 assaults.
As well as handguns, rifles and shotguns, the figure also includes people who were injured by air guns and BB guns.
Strict laws on gun ownership in the UK mean most of the recorded injuries are likely to have been caused by airguns and similar firearms.
There are currently no restrictions on buying an air weapon and ammunition if you are 18 or over and you can use them wherever you have permission to shoot.
It is illegal for someone under the age of 18 to own an air weapon, but children aged 14 to 17 are allowed to bor- row one and use it without supervision on private property, with permission.
Children under the age of 14 are also allowed to use an air gun with supervision from someone over the age of 21.
This legislation is currently up for review, which experts hope will lead to similar air gun legislation as the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, which introduced an air weapon certificate in Scotland.
This law means anyone in the country who owns an air weapon is now required to hold this license. Between April 2017 and March this year, 44 people were killed by guns across Great Britain, according to figures from the Gun Control Network.
Chrissie Hall, a coordinator at the Gun Control Network, said: “Clearly more does need to be done. The number of gun incidents are of huge concern, particularly the number of people, including many children, injured in air gun, bb gun and replica gun incidents, which will account for a significant number of these incidents.
“The licensing of airgun owners in Scotland, introduced in January 2016, has been successful, so clearly licensing of airgun owners in England and Wales should be introduced immediately in the same way.
“This measure would have a significant effect upon the number of incidents. Whilst there is still much to be done to improve gun licensing and gun legislation in the United Kingdom we remain one of the safest countries in the world regarding firearms crime.”
Licensing of airgun owners in England and Wales should be introduced immediately