EU VOTES TO TIGHTEN GUN LAWS AS 25 ARRESTED IN WEST MIDS RAIDS

12.00.00am GMT Fri 30th Nov 2007

The European Parliament voted this week in favour of proposals to ban firearms than can be converted to handguns, and require a national database to be set up to record gun serial numbers, buyers and sellers. The vote in Brussels came on the same day as raids in the Aston, Alum Rock, Handsworth and Ward End areas of Birmingham which saw 25 people arrested and many more arrests and seizures of convertible imitation guns across the country.

The West Midlands is one the UK government's four hotspots for gun crime, accounting for nine percent of all firearms offences in England and Wales during 2005-6. This equates to 37 firearms offences per 100,000 people. For local Euro MP Liz Lynne, the supply of guns to criminals is a Europe-wide problem and has to be tackled collectively.

Commenting today, Liz Lynne said:

"In the UK a ban on handguns was introduced after the murders of 16 schoolchildren and their teacher in Dunblane, but it has not stopped convertible guns from entering the country.

"As is evident from this week's raids, we are facing an ever-increasing problem with gun crime in this country, most notably in our large cities such as Birmingham which is one of the UK government's four gun crime hotspots.

"But this is a problem mirrored in other EU countries and it is a problem which stems from the fact that many of these weapons are being imported into this country from other member states, so it is right for us to work together in trying to eradicate this menace from our streets. As one of my colleagues said yesterday, Europe does not want to follow the route of the U.S., where it is too easy for guns to fall into the wrong hands.

"The macho image of guns in the minds of alienated young people also has to be tackled - we can see the evidence from the YouTube video of the Aston gang. If we can get to the root of some of the causes of social exclusion in our inner-city areas and provide more opportunity and better role models for impressionable young people, many would realise for themselves that a life of guns and crime offers no way out."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The proposals approved yesterday bring convertible weapons, now banned in the UK, under the control regime for conventional firearms within countries across the EU. Other benefits include requirements for marking, traceability and transfer of weapons between Member States and national databases to record, buyers, sellers, model and serial numbers.

The proposals approved yesterday have the support of Keith Bristow, Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) portfolio holder for Criminal Use of Firearms and as such has been following the proposals for a review of the EU legislation on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons.

The raids in Birmingham were part of a UK-wide crime crackdown, which saw more than 100 arrests made and more than 1,300 imitation weapons seized in coordinated raids in Birmingham and other cities.

Several fatal shootings have occurred in other cities and numerous shooting incidents have resulted in serious injury in Birmingham this year.

In 2006 almost half the weapons seized by Greater Manchester Police had been converted after being imported from countries such as Germany or Lithuania as alarm guns, gas guns or blank-firing guns.

Liz Lynne MEP was author of the 2007 joint report for the European Parliament on Social Protection, Social Inclusion and Social Reality Stocktaking which was adopted by the European Parliament earlier this month. The report is the European Parliament's response to the adoption by the European Council in Spring and the European Commission of reports on 'social reality stocktaking'. Please find a link to the report below:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A6-2007-0400+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN