SCOTLAND'S top police officers have demanded an urgent review of gun law, claiming it is outdated and in need of radical overhaul.
It is the first time the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) has come out and made such a strong comment on the country's firearms legislation.
And last night, a former member of the group said he would not be surprised if som
e senior officers even backed calls for Holyrood to have gun law devolved from Whitehall.
News of ACPOS's call came days after Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced plans for a "firearms summit" with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. She has opposed devolving weapons legislation to Scotland but the fact such a move has taken place in Northern Ireland has simply increased the pressure upon her.
Yesterday, an ACPOS spokesman said: "A fundamental review of firearms legislation is overdue, making the control of firearms simpler to understand and administer from a public and regulating body perspective. The overarching principle should be the enhancement of public safety whilst ensuring that responsible and legitimate ownership and use of firearms is catered for."
Last night, MacAskill said: "The existing firearms regime doesn't serve the interests of public safety as it should.
"The law needs to be understandable to all – to the layman as much as to the expert.
"The police are calling for reform because the system they must enforce is embedded in an Act that is 40 years old and amended so often over that time.
"If they find it difficult to enforce, we must listen to that call. It's time for a consolidated Act making the law clear to one and all, as well as addressing loopholes and clear gaps."
He said a total ban on the sale of air weapons was a vital part of his plans for Scotland's future safety. "It is four years since the Home Office recognised the need for a comprehensive review and launched a public consultation – but the lack of progress since then is not acceptable," he said.
As well as ACPOS, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has also backed moves to re-examine gun laws. Norrie Flowers, chairman of the SPF, said: "There should be a new firearms act as the protection of the public is the main issue.
"I cannot see any legitimate reason why anyone should have a gun, apart from a farmer or a sportsman especially, in a rural area. And if anyone is found in the street with a gun, then they should be locked up and the key thrown away."
It is believed new faces in the ACPOS set-up, such as Strathclyde Police's recently appointed chief constable Stephen House, are pushing for changes in Scotland's gun law.
House had wide experience of firearms issues during his time with the Metropolitan Police, where he was heavily involved in Operation Trident, the force's ongoing crackdown against "black-on-black" gun crime.
One former ACPOS insider said he believed some members would back calls for gun law to be devolved from London, especially as that would see responsibility for air weapons handed over to Holyrood.
He said: "Air guns are a much bigger issue here than south of the border. But ACPOS will not want to get involved in a political argument."
The full article contains 552 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
