Just thought I'd post this for any UK Fetts
Holding of replica guns in public to be banned
9:23pm Wednesday, 08th January 2003
The Home Secretary has announced the carrying of replica guns and air weapons in public will be banned.
David Blunkett says legislation will be introduced to ban anyone carrying a replica or air weapon "in a public place without a good reason".
The age limit for acquiring and using an air weapon without adult supervision will be increased from 14 to 17, Mr Blunkett said.
The Home Office said the ban would cover anything that looked like a firearm, not just those capable of conversion to live ammunition.
In theory that could see people being arrested for carrying a child's toy or a gun-shaped cigarette lighter if they did not have a "reasonable excuse".
A Home Office spokeswoman said arrests would be down to police officers using their discretion.
The spokeswoman said: "It's about anything that can be mistaken for a firearm. It would come down to the proper use of police officer or judicial discretion and the laws will have to be implemented sensibly by police.
"If someone is waving a cigarette lighter shaped like a firearm at police officers then that is very different from it being used to light a cigarette in a pub."
The Home Office is also looking at a ban on the sale, manufacture and import of weapons, including certain models of Brocock, which can be readily converted to fire live ammunition.
In London, 75% of guns seized are converted imitations or converted blank firers.
Senior officers say many offences recorded as gun crime are carried out with replicas.
So where do we stand with a ROTJ Rifle
Fett-UK
