More British Gun Laws on the way (courtesy of the GCN)

A 15-year-old boy has been sent to a young offenders' institution for two years for shooting a friend dead with an airgun.

Daryl John Allison was 13 when horseplay with an air rifle ended in tragedy as he shot 14-year-old Matthew Sheffield in the head.

A judge said the Government should use the current session of Parliament to address legislation governing the ownership and use of air weapons.

Judge Peter Fox QC said: "Such legislation is urgently needed. For Matthew not to have died in vain it would be appropriate, and not at all difficult, for that to be passed in the next session of Parliament."

Matthew's parents, Mark and Wendy, called for a national campaign to put pressure on the Government.

Mr Sheffield, a 42-year-old computer programmer, said: "It is a tragedy that Matthew died and it is a tragedy that somebody has had to be sent away but the problem came about because children got their hands on a gun. We just want the Government to act and take the guns out of the hands of kids.

Allison and his older brother Trevor found their father's airgun in the attic of the family home in Croft Road, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, on April 29 last year.

Allison, who was 15 last month, pleaded not guilty from the outset and an earlier jury at Teesside Crown Court failed to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered.

Judge Fox, sentencing Allison to two years' detention, said: "In my judgment you intended to do more than frighten him, you intended to hurt with the pellet which you blatantly discharged at Matthew."

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Changes in Britain's gun laws are expected to be announced in the Queen's Speech.

Parliamentary insiders said they are confident the Government will be addressing the airgun menace in the next session of Parliament.

There has been increasing concern about the number of airguns on Britain's streets since Tyneside schoolgirl Nicola Diston was blinded in one eye by an airgun pellet.

Following the attack we joined forces with Gateshead Council and 16-year-old Nicola's MP, Joyce Quin, to introduce a licensing system for the weapons.

More than 21,000 Chronicle readers signed petitions calling for the Government to introduce tougher legislation on airgun ownership.

A Home Office spokeswoman today conceded the Government was "concerned" at the high number of crimes involving airguns.

She added: "The minister is looking at a number of options. We can't say at this stage whether any new legislation on this issue will be included in the Queen's Speech. That has yet to be decided."

But Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth has promised a Parliamentary investigation. In July he met a delegation, including the Chronicle, Ms Quin and council representatives. On that occasion he said: "Something needs to be done because I'm worried there's going to be another Nicola Diston."

Gateshead East and Washington West MP Ms Quin confirmed she would be pressing for new legislation.

She said: "The fact that this issue is being taken up by MPs from all over the country shows this is a national problem. The momentum's growing behind the campaign for the licensing of air weapons and higher age limits for their use."

Councillor Mick Henry, leader of Gateshead Council, said: "Even if there is an announcement in the Queen's Speech, that will not signal the end to the campaign.

"We would need to press even harder to ensure the changes we believe need to be made - and which the vast majority of the public would support - make it into law."

A deadly cache was unveiled by police on Tyneside today as new figures reveal there are 30 airgun incidents a day in Britain.

An amnesty in the west end of Newcastle has uncovered 23 airguns, seven air rifles and 45 knives in just six weeks.

Two crossbows, a shotgun, a sword, an imitation firearm and ammo-making kit were also handed in to Westgate Road police station.

Chief Insp Graham Smith of Newcastle West, said: "Once again we have had a tremendous response to our amnesty and we were particularly pleased with the number of air weapons which have been taken out of circulation.

"The response from the public has been great and the surrender of these weapons takes them off the streets, making Newcastle West a safer place in which to live and work."

The message behind the amnesty was that knives and air weapons were not toys and could kill.

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PARENTS arming their children with airguns are setting them on the path towards violent crime, a gun control campaigner warned today.

The Echo's Gun Law campaign has revealed that some mums and dads buy the deadly weapons as presents for their sons and daughters.

Suzanne Fletcher, a member of the Gun Control network pressure group, today said she was "horrified" to learn that the guns were regarded as playthings by some families.

She has joined the Echo's fight against the airgun menace - a campaign that has already won support from 10,000 Wearsiders, MPs Chris Mullin, Bill Etherington, Joyce Quin and Fraser Kemp, three North East councils and leading animal rights groups.

Our campaign was launched following a spate of airgun shootings which seriously injured victims - in all the cases the marksmen pulling the trigger were youngsters who were breaking the law by possessing the guns. A senior Sunderland policeman last week went on the record to warn that children brandishing the dangerous firearms risked being shot.

Chief Inspector Steve Hopkirk said he would deploy armed response teams to all reported firearms incidents, but he fears it is only a matter of time before Wearsiders brandishing airguns in public are shot because police can't tell whether the weapons are real or fake.

Over the weekend, three Northumberland schoolchildren were surrounded by crackshot police officers while playing with an imitation gun.

Police arrested the three, fingerprinted them and took DNA samples - procedures all armed suspects face since tough Government guidelines on recording crime were introduced in April. They were released after a caution but their DNA will stay on file for life. The drastic action has been slammed by the youngsters' parents, who say the police were "heavy-handed".

But Mrs Fletcher today defended force chiefs action. "Guns can kill and we all have a responsibility to stop weapons, fake or real, from being taken out onto the streets," she said.

"There is a direct link to the rise in violent crime and the increased use of guns. I feel very strongly that giving children guns sets them down the path of careers in crime. You do not become a gangster overnight, and introducing youngsters to weapons can set that awful process in motion."

Mrs Fletcher has been a member of the Gun Control network since its formation in 1996.

The group, set up after the Dunblane massacre, wants to see stricter gun controls and greater awareness of the dangers of gun ownership and use.

"I am delighted the Echo has taken up the issue of tighter controls regulating the use of airguns and congratulate your readers for getting behind the campaign in such massive numbers," she said. "Everyone should be signing the petitions." She is also urging people to join the Gun Control Network.

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THE Echo today bids to bring an airgun-toting yob to justice by offering a reward for his capture.

The gunman hid in bushes and fired two shots into a Sunderland schoolboy. One hit his victim in the back and another pellet embedded itself in the youngster's calf muscle.

Detectives investigating the Barnes Park shooting have admitted they are struggling for leads in the case. Now the Echo is offering a £100 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible and the recovery of the firearm.

The 14-year-old victim, who is too frightened to be named, needed emergency surgery to remove the pellet from his leg.

Doctors later revealed the shot had missed a main artery and bone by just a centimetre.

The boy told the Echo last week how he heard two cracks then a felt a searing pain in his leg.

With help from his friends he managed to hobble back to his home in Plains Farm and raised the alarm.

His mum said: "He's still in a lot of pain. You never think anything like this will happen to your family. It has happened to us and it could happen to anyone. I hope the Echo's reward convinces people to come forward to police with information. This person has to be caught before they do it again."

Since the shooting the victim's family have made it their personal mission to collect signatures for the Echo's Gun Law campaign, which will be used to lobby Home Secretary David Blunkett into a rethink on the law. Government ministers yesterday promised to review the age at which people can legally own air guns.

The boy's mum added: "I've got over 100 signatures in just a couple of hours. So far everyone I've contacted has been full of support for the campaign. People are outraged that someone is going around purposely shooting at kids for no reason at all."

Her son is now walking on crutches and will need physiotherapy to regain full use of his leg after the shooting which happened two weeks ago.

A team of detectives, led by Acting Detective Inspector Colin McCrudden, is desperate to crack the case.

"This offender has already hospitalised one victim. We are determined that he will not put further innocent members of the public at risk," said Mr McCrudden. "The most important thing is that we recover this dangerous firearm before it does anymore harm."

If you have information which can lead police to the gunman contact Sunderland West CID in confidence, tel: 454 7555.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, tel: 0800 555 111. You do not have to give your name and you may qualify for a cash reward.

My reading of the situation is:

Airguns are protected by our 2nd Amendment. U.S. vs. Miller established that the 2nd Amendment only applies to military weapons. Lewis and Clark carried an airgun on their mission. The expedition was a military mission.

There has been no noticeable improvement to our public safety since the banning of firearms. This is merely an indication of leftist thinking - the way to cure people of evil, in their view, is to remove the instruments of perpetrating evil. But the problem is that instruments are easy to come by.

It's idiocy in other words.

Regards, Ivan

This is merely an indication of leftist thinking - the way to cure people of evil, in their view, is to remove the instruments of perpetrating evil. But the problem is that instruments are easy to come by.

I agree. When I was a 12 year old, I made a crossbow which could have killed someone at close range easily. A dangerous/lethal weapon can be improvised by anyone who wants it. Using, or threatening to use, such a weapon on someone is an offence and possessing one in a public place is also an offence. The problem is that the government prefers not to give juveniles, and if justified, their parents, serious punishments for using airguns as offensive weapons. They would rather try and demonise inanimate objects and restrict everyone's access to them, in order to win votes from the left-wingers and the liberals. Most of these people seem to labour under the illusion that owning any type of gun causes criminal behaviour in sane people.

The only way to discourage any person from attacking another with any kind of weapon is to have serious punishments in place for that crime. Registering airguns won't help, because the people who misuse them won't bother to register them. Teaching children the dangers of 'horseplay' with airguns and holding them and their parents reponsible for any delinquent behaviour with them, makes more sense than licensing them, or requiring them to be locked up in gun cabinets. Besides, hooligans can always get, or make other weapons; like crossbows, blow-pipes etc.

God help you British.

I really feel sorry for you, I'm sure we could use your talents in an American company.

As for guns:

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN FIREARMS SAFETY!!, NOW!!
Children that are raised to respect firearms and to properly handle firearms are not the ones that cause problems. Children have a natural curiosity towards firearms, especially when they are told to stay away.

Notice that I use the word "firearms", the anti's never use that word. Also handguns should always be called "sidearms". I know that since you live in England you probably do not even have such a thing as Hunter Safety classes availiable to kids, that sucks.

The only way to have freedom is to get out of there and come on over here. We can use more freedom loving people.
All the Best,

Where is the logic behind gun control laws. CRIMINALS DO NOT FOLLOW THE LAWS. It does not matter what laws pass banning airguns or knives or whatever. The banned items will come into the country on the black market and criminals will get the weapons they desire whether it be air rifles, revolvers, semi automatic handguns, or automatic submachine guns. These laws will only affect those people who wish to follow them.

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