THE Public Accounts Select Committee has taken the Home Office to task for not keeping a better check on the surrender of (legally held) handguns after Dunblane.

Considering the amount of money laid out by a legitimate shooter on getting a firearms certificate, and the amount of information required before the certificate is issued, the police should have been able to pinpoint every legitimately held handgun from their records.

Why could they not?

Even the compensation scheme has been badly handled with some owners waiting for more than 18 months for payment after handing in their guns.

Compensation for accessories which can not be of use to anyone other than a handgun shooter have been argued over for months, with rules such as no compensation being paid for fewer than 10 of the same item.

Who would own 10 triggers, 10 holsters, 10 hammers or 10 sights for a single gun?

R. MILES, Larch Street, Bury.

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