Ellee Seymour has a post up about issuing firearms certificates to children.
A Freedom of Information request found that an 11-year-old has been given a shotgun licence by police already this year, while in 2006 a 10-year-old was handed one. In the past five years, 182 under-16s have received shotgun licences from Suffolk police which are valid for five years.
Ellee comes across as a nice person, but with the traditional politician's love of banning things. She'll feel right at home if she gets elected next time roung. Clearly, children using shotguns is a major problem if people aren't even aware that it's happening. As Mr Free Market says in the comments
Every time I see the hysteria whipped up in the sensationalist gun fearing press about youngsters & air weapons (or firearms), my Boy gets sent out into the farm yard to shoot rats because out here, vermin control has always been a youngsters job.
Since he has been physically large enough to lift a weapon, he has been taught & is continuing to be taught, all aspects of handling, marksmanship & safety.
And that's the point, isn't it? Children have been shooting vermin on farmyards since time immemorial. I'm sure the kids love it and it's a job that needs to be done. What better way of introducing a young person to the real world?
I wonder if Ellee thinks the boy would be better off hanging round on street corners?