Website of the UK government

Snapshot of gun crime in England and Wales

Here are some recent statistics on gun crime, comparing 2007-08 gun crimes to those committed in 2006-07:

• the number of overall offences involving firearms fell by 2 per cent
• firearms were involved in 455 serious or fatal injuries, compared to 468 the previous year - a drop of 3 per cent
• offences involving handguns effectively held steady, those involving shotguns were down 3 per cent
• the number of reported crimes involving imitation guns effectively did not change
  

What is gun crime?

Gun crime includes any offence that involves the use of a gun or other firearm.

This includes:

• a murder where the victim was shot
• any situation where a gun was fired, even if nobody was injured
• any robbery or burglary where the thieves carried a gun
• any case in which people were intimidated with a weapon
• anybody found carrying a banned gun, such as a handgun
• anyone found carrying or using an imitation gun

Gun laws

To tackle the problem of gun-related crime, sentences for people convicted of crimes involving a gun or other firearm have been made a lot tougher in recent years.

Under the current law:

• anyone found guilty of possessing an illegal firearm faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison
• it is illegal to possess an air weapon or imitation firearm in public without a reasonable excuse
• the age limit to buy or own an air rifle is 17
• some air rifles that can be converted to fire live ammunition are now illegal

If you want to know if a gun you're planning to buy is legal, or to find out more about the rules on owning a gun, contact your local police force.

• Find a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authority

What can you do?

Reporting gun crime

If you have information about gun crime, contact your local police force.

If you're nervous about going to the police, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They will never ask for your name or try to trace the number that you're calling from.

Get involved in preventing gun crime

Police and councils around the country regularly run anti-gun campaigns, and if you’re upset or scared by gun crime, you might want to get involved. These campaigns usually involve events designed to raise awareness about problems in your area. They provide opportunities for you to talk with other concerned people about how the issues should be tackled.

If you're interested, contact your neighbourhood policing team. You can also just stop by your nearest police station to find out about groups in your area.

• Find a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authority

• Crimestoppers website Opens new window