Gun laws dangerously outdated, says coroner

GUN laws should be overhauled so police take the default position that firearms licences should not be granted, the coroner who investigated the Plymouth mass shooting has said.

In a report to the Home Secretary and policing minister, senior coroner Ian Arrow said gun laws were dangerously outdated. He called for reform of firearms legislation after five people were shot dead in August 2021 by Jake Davison, 22, with a legally-owned shotgun.

Mr Arrow warned there had been a “serious failure at a national level” to learn the lessons of the Dunblane massacre in 1996, and poor standards in police firearms vetting units meant weapons may “remain in the hands of individuals who pose a risk”.

Last month, the inquests into the deaths of the victims concluded there had been “catastrophic” failures at Devon and Cornwall Police which allowed Davison, 22, to hold a firearms certificate despite mental health issues.

A Home Office spokesman said the department would consider the findings.