The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has welcomed the news that the number of legally held guns in Scotland has risen to its highest figure in 10 years.
The figures, released by the Scottish Government today, show that the number of firearms held on certificate went up by 4% from 2007 to 69,481, the highest for 10 years.
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BASC’s director for Scotland, Dr Colin Shedden, said: “Although these are the figures for 2008, we are aware that the trend towards increased participation in shooting sports is continuing. Firearms licensing managers frequently tell us of the growing number of applications that they have been dealing with both last year and this year.”
Senior firearms officer for BASC, Mike Eveleigh, said: “It’s a shame the Home Office is unable to match the speed and efficiency of the Scottish Government in producing these statistics. We have asked for a meeting with the Home Office to try to resolve the problems we experience with their late, incomplete and sometimes inaccurate figures.”
ENDS