An inspection report has found that failures in the firearms licensing system have created a “postcode lottery” for people seeking to legally own guns in England and Wales. His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Lee Freeman, said the existing system is not fit for purpose, with significant inconsistencies across the two nations.
The report, published today, records at least 39 murders involving legally-owned weapons over a decade. It warns that poor guidance and supervision could be putting the public at risk and calls for a new national firearms licensing authority.
Plymouth shooting legacy
Calls for reform have grown since Jake Davison shot and killed five people in Plymouth five years ago. Davison was authorised to own the pump-action shotgun he used by Devon and Cornwall Police. In August 2021, he murdered his mother Maxine, three-year-old Sophie Martyn and her father Lee, and passers-by Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66. Two others were injured before he killed himself.
New guidelines and rules for police were issued in the wake of the tragedy. However, Mr Freeman said: “Most of the nearly 500,000 certificate holders use their firearms and shotguns responsibly for lawful recreation or as essential tools for work. But they are faced with a postcode lottery in the service they receive from firearms and explosive licensing units.”
System 'not clear, consistent or robust'
Mr Freeman added: “They, and the wider public, deserve a system that is clear, consistent and robust. We found the current system is none of these things. This is not the first time the inspectorate and others have raised concerns about firearms licensing, and change is now overdue.”
He said a new national firearms licensing authority should be created to better protect public safety, stating: “Further tragedies shouldn’t be required before action is taken.”
The report comes more than a decade after His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) first warned of weaknesses in the national firearms licensing system.
Inconsistent practice and outdated laws
The document points to inconsistent practice and decision-making and calls for the 38 firearms and explosive licensing units (FELUs) in England and Wales to be abolished and replaced by a national body. The watchdog also warns that too much guidance is open to interpretation, licensing laws are outdated and overly complex, and training for decision makers is inconsistent and sometimes non-existent.
It also calls for people who apply for firearm and shotgun licences to undergo an in-person medical assessment and for a digital verification system to stop forged certificates being used to buy weapons.
Concerns about the licensing system have been voiced for years. In 2023, Debbie Tedds, who led on the issue on the National Policing Council (NPCC), announced a national training programme would be introduced. This had been recommended by the Cullen Inquiry into the 1996 Dunblane massacre but had not been implemented. Sixteen children and a teacher were killed when a gunman opened fire at Dunblane Primary School in March 1996.
Home Office response
A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world. We have taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen firearms licensing, including publication of robust statutory guidance for police, the introduction of mandatory medical checks, new national training for forces, and increases in firearms licensing fees.”
The spokesman added that a number of recommendations in the report reflect work already underway, including a review of firearms licensing arrangements taking place as part of the Government's wider police reform agenda. “We will work closely with policing partners to consider the report and take forward any further action that may be required to strengthen firearms controls and keep the public safe,” they said.
