Categorise all air rifles as firearms and require owners to be licenced

Background

Currently some air rifles can be purchased by anyone over the age of 18. Every year wild animals and pets die or are permanently injured by air rifle bullets. All air rifles should be treated as firearms and subject to the same rules as owning a gun. They are not toys.

Additional details

I volunteer at a wildlife rescue. Yesterday a beautiful fox was brought in, from an urban area, having been shot 4 times by an air rifle. She was paralysed. I have heard of numerous cases of cats, squirrels, foxes, waterfowl and hedgehogs being injured by air rifle bullets …I refuse to call them pellets. They are not for idiots who think shooting an animal is a laugh.

Where it’s popular

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