BASC has raised concerns with Police Scotland and the hotel sector following an incident in which BASC member Miss Rachel Carrie, who was shooting in the Commonwealth Games, was accused by hotel staff of being in breach of the law when in lawful possession of a shotgun and then being unnecessarily questioned by police for four hours.
BASC’s Chief Executive Richard Ali said: “Rachel Carrie, who was competing for her country, was subjected to a thoroughly unpleasant experience. We have raised our concerns with Police Scotland who have confirmed they will look into the handling of this case. We trust lessons will be learned.
“We have also written to both the hotel concerned and to the British Hospitality Association to offer BASC’s firearms expertise to ensure hoteliers are aware of the law and prevent such incidents from happening again.”
The recently published Value of Shooting report shows that the hospitality sector receives considerable commercial benefit from those travelling to shoot. Shooting supports 5,200 jobs (FTE) in the hospitality sector. Half of shoot providers (54%) surveyed said that visitors to their shooting stayed overnight, with an average of 59 visitor nights generated by each shooting provider. This is an important injection of income, especially in the ‘off-season’.
ENDS