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England and Wales gun licensing system is a 'postcode lottery' putting public safety at risk, inspectors warn

Shotgun owners — around 460,000 certificate holders in England and Wales — could face tougher licensing rules requiring them to declare their intended use for the weapon.
Shotgun owners — around 460,000 certificate holders in England and Wales — could face tougher licensing rules requiring them to declare their intended use for the weapon.

Legally held firearms were linked to at least 39 murders in England and Wales in the decade to March 2025, inspectors have revealed, with the policing watchdog declaring the country's gun licensing system is "not fit for purpose." His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services attributed the public safety risk to "unclear guidance and legislation" alongside "poor supervision and oversight." Inspector Lee Freeman warned that "further tragedies shouldn't be required before action is taken" and called for a national firearms licensing authority to replace the current patchwork of local units. The report grew out of the 2021 Plymouth Keyham massacre, in which Jake Davison shot five people dead weeks after having his seized shotgun certificate returned to him.

Davison's shotgun certificate had been confiscated following an assault on a teenage boy, yet it was restored to him before he carried out the killings.

The inspectorate is pressing for a single national body to replace the 38 local firearms and explosives licensing units currently operating across the country and impose consistent standards.

The Home Office said it would 'consider' the recommendations, insisting the UK already has 'some of the toughest firearms laws in the world.'

MoreGB NewsGun licensing 'postcode lottery' putting Britons at riskBBC News - EnglandGun licensing process a 'postcode lottery', report saysThe IndependentUK gun laws explained after serious warning issued by inspector
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