Cross-border airgun warning

Thousands of people could fall foul of proposed new legislation around airguns, a senior police officer has said.

Under the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill, anyone who owns an airgun will need a licence.

However, Calum Steele, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told MSPs the changes could affect people across the UK and not just in Scotland.

Steele was giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Regeneration Committee, which is currently taking evidence on the Bill.

He said: “I suspect that there are many, possibly tens of thousands of individuals out there, who may well find themselves falling foul of the criminal justice system because of licensing offences, something that has never featured before.

“That is not just for individuals who are domiciled in Scotland but also apply to individuals who come from anywhere else in the United Kingdom to Scotland, where there is no current consideration for moving air weapons across the borders.”

There are an estimated 500,000 air weapons in Scotland. Under the Scottish Government’s plans, anyone wanting to own an airgun would need to demonstrate they had a legitimate reason for doing so.

The planned legislation also introduces a new licensing regime for the operation of sexual entertainment venues. It likewise amends the existing licensing regimes in relation to taxis and private hire cars, scrap metal dealerships and public entertainment venues. Committee convener Kevin Stewart said: “This Bill will affect every person in Scotland.”