Gun ownership figures soaring
NORTH EAST NUMBERS AT 10-YEAR HIGH
THERE are more legally owned guns in the North East than at any point in the past ten years, new figures have revealed.
Home Office data shows there are 26,405 firearms covered by gun licences in Northumbria Police’s and Durham Constabulary’s force areas.
Since 2008/09, the number of guns in the region has increased by nearly 7,000 and now there is more than one gun out there for every 100 people.
There are 3,711 active licences in Northumbria Police’s area covering 12,965 guns while in Durham there are 2,623 active licences covering 9,573 guns.
In the past year, 420 new licences were issued across the North East, which probably represent around 1,500 firearms.
During the same period, only 27 licences were revoked.
Gun control in the UK is among the toughest in the world and the Home Office’s official guidance makes explicit that “gun ownership is a privilege, not a right”.
Anyone applying for a firearm licence needs to be assessed to make sure they don’t pose a threat to public safety and have good reason to own a gun.
According to Home Office guidance, people who have been sentenced to a “term of imprisonment of three years or more cannot possess a firearm or ammunition (including antique firearms) at any time”.
The East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, London, the North West and the West Midlands have fewer guns per head than the North East.
There are 1,695 guns per 100,000 people in the South East, comfortably the highest rate in England and Wales.
Assistant chief constable Dave Orford, who is the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for firearms licensing, said: “It is not surprising that rural locations like County Durham and Darlington would see a number of people with firearm and shotgun certificates.
“Criminal use of firearms in County Durham and Darlington remains extremely rare, and there can be many reasons as to why the numbers of firearms lawfully held on certificate changes over time such as amendments to legislation.
“Durham Constabulary have a dedicated firearms licensing unit who work with certificate holders to ensure we minimise the chances of firearms being lost or stolen, which remains a very rare occurrence.”
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We want to reassure the public that anyone who holds a firearm certificate is subject to close scrutiny and their suitability to own a firearm is under constant review.
“Every application will be considered by a dedicated team of experts and will only be approved if a person meets a criteria set by national legislation. “If an application is successful then it will only be valid for five years and will be subject to ongoing assessment.
“Less than one percent of people in our force area own a firearm certificate and nobody who is a prohibited person under the relevant legislation will be granted one. Certificate holders come from all walks of life and may own a firearm for work, sport, as collectors or even for hobbies such as historical reenactments.
“If a certificate holder has a change of circumstances that mean they no longer have good reason to own a firearm or a change in suitability, for example if they become involved in criminality, then their certificate can, and will, be revoked.
“If anyone is concerned that a member of the public is in possession of a firearm without a certificate then we would encourage you to contact police on 101.”
We want to reassure the public that anyone who holds a firearm certificate is subject to close scrutiny Northumbria Police