HAS the madness of Ryan and Hamilton reached the higher ranks of the police force?

Jim Sharples, Chief Constable of Merseyside and Chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers would like a ban on hand guns, increased influence of GPs in the granting of a firearms certificate, and other proposals which include announcing in the local newspaper the intention of someone to store firearms in their home. I believe any right minded person would realise the implications of some of these measures.

What is surprising is that these measures are being put forward by a man who presides over an area where the instances of armed crime are increasing almost daily, most involve drugs and/or gangland warfare. Surely no one believes registered firearm certificate holders are doing this? That being the case, is it not the situation that the real problem is not being addressed, and Dunblane is being used as a cover to over-react and pillory a law-abiding section of the community.

The nearest anyone can get to a guarantee than Dunblane is not a regular occurrence is the present dracocian measures involved in granting a firearm certificate.

It is hoped that the Cullen enquiry will look at all aspects of the Dunblane incident and perhaps answer some questions which have been avoided and left unanswered to date. One such question is why was Hamilton not relieved of his guns and firearms certificate when he was reported to the police as having threatened a woman with a gun some time before Dunblane, an action which quite obviously would have prevented him using her certificated guns to commit this heinous crime.

Unfortunately I can't say it would have prevented the incident altogether, for as mentioned previously illegally acquiring guns would appear to be fairly easy to those who seek them out.

Firearms holder

(name and address supplied)

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