The majority of the British public thinks there should be greater restrictions on gun ownership, a new survey for the Sun has found.
Almost a third (31%) think there should be a complete ban on all gun ownership by civilians, and a further 38% think there should be greater restrictions on guns. 23% think the current restrictions on gun ownership are about right, and a mere four percent believe the restrictions should be relaxed.
Since 1997, handguns have been almost completely banned in the UK. However, it is still legal to own other guns, in those cases where a firearms licence has been granted by the police in virtue of a legitimate sporting or working use. To get a licence, an applicant also requires approval from a doctor and a background check by the police.
David Cameron has warned against a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to the Cumbrian shootings, speaking as he returned from the country on Friday. He urged the public to await the full details of last week’s tragedy before considering whether laws should be changed.
The PM said that we “generally we do have very strong gun control. I don’t think we should leap to conclusions. Going [to Cumbria] brought home to me how you do have to wait for all the detail to emerge to fully understand what happened”. It seems the jury is still out on what changes, if any, should be made to current gun law legislation.
