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A visit from the local police...


naddan28
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I was round my friend's tonight and at around 830pm we were shooting his B2 in the garden. We were just plinking at tin cans, within a roses tin against a solid brick wall on the floor so nothing remotely dangerous. 2 hrs later a knock at the door is heard by me and a friend (we were upstairs) go down to expected to see my girlfriend awaiting and a police officer is standing there with another in the front room with my friend Phil.

 

The first officer asked whether we all lived here and how many others did. We explained 3 others and i was just on a social call. At this point the officer walks in and see's my friend's berrata 92f bb gun and picks it up (a tin off .22 pellets were next to it) and says "oh here is the offending item". We explained that it wasnt and his colluege had already seen the air rifle in the bedroom. So they began to explain how they had 3 complaints about air rifle pellets hitting neighbours windows, althou no damage had been caused and how we were committing an offence for shooting pellets of the land. They then proceeded to start questioning my friend as he admitted owning the gun, shooting it within HIS garden and stated he was not stupid enough to fire outside of the boundries. I quickly pointed out that the targets were solid with a brick wall back stop and were highly improbable to receot espically the required 50 yards to hit the flats window or back 20 yrds at a 60 degree angle to hit the neighbours. I invited him to look for themselves but they did not seem to care, Phil then stated that perhaps the noise of the gun was what caused them to think it hit their property not the actually leaving his boundries. The officers just said about they wanted his name and number etc in case anything else happened "so they know where to come."

 

My friend Phil is now rather worried as firstly anything that happens in the area he is likely to get the grief and secondly we are going for a job at BAE Systems which requires a rigorous security check. I must admit the police officers did not really seem convienced by the "damage" the pellet caused as air rifle pellets dont "bounce" off windows but explained they had to come round as 3 people had complained and if not they would get it in the neck. I have told my friend to right in explaining that another neighbour's house has 3 bb gun owners who shoot and is more likely to have "bounced" pellets off the window. He now does not want to keep his gun at his incase anything happens from other shooters and he is blamed.

 

I told him not to worry to much as clearly they were not bothered and any evidence they had would be purely curcmstanual. Just annoying that he has been responsibly shooting in the garden and the police have come round and made life arkward for him.

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lol I like your sig ^^^ :)

 

On a serious note, Im sure you did the right thing there, and a letter may be a good idea. Could even include a couple of digi pics showing the backstop, and the angles. Send it via registerd post (for legal proof) and then if anything comes up you will atleast show that you were fully cooperating, and that you arent a bunch of chavs after an Asbo.

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Yep i know what you mean snakebite i dont fire in the garden normally but if i do it place my target in a tin which is full up with folded up carpet. Its just the fact that he was getting blamed for something he clearly has not done. What we reckon is a neighbour phoned up to complain about the noise and was told that we were in the law as long as we were shooting in our backgarden. Then they waited till we were out next time and phoned saying the pellets were riochetting off the windows in order to get us in the ****. As pellets dont bounce off windows when shot at them! And for a riochet to have happened the pellet would needed to riochet out of the tin to hit a window 25 yrds behind it and about 50ft out in the air! Hardly possible, the other neighbours have a tree line which obscures their house and in order for it to riochet at them it would need to come off at a 15degree angle to the right and 70 degrees vertically, again highly improbable espically as the police claimed 3 seperate neighbours! They themselves seemed a bit doutful of the truth in the matter but as they said had to follow up complaints.

 

i can see the point in the police coming around

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a B2 should be criminal activity :) :(

 

LOl thats way on sunday is was going to bring round my BSA Lightning after shooting on the farm, show them what a proper air rifle was like. Although i will admit his is very accurate considering its a B2 managed to put a couple of pellets into the beer can through the gap you drink the beer. Although he has a 4x20 scope so its patheticly small for aiming with.

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I am afraid you are most likely simply a scape goat so the Police can be seen taking action against a complaint.

 

This kind of thing happens all too often. The remark about it being unlawful to discharge a air rifle-pistol (within the legal limit) on your own land is of course twaddle :)

 

As long as the pellets don't leave the boundary of your land you have commited no offence.

 

I SERIOUSLY wish they would send a Cop out who KNOWS the laws reguarding shooting instead of sending rookies who know NOTHING and simply make it up on spec :lol:

 

If a suspected shooting related incident has taken place then the Armed responce lads should be contacted at the very least to be consulted about the correct procedures to follow OR have a FLO on duty to attend the call out with the other officers.

 

Perhaps a New post for the police should be someone who is clued up on ALL laws relating to the use of airguns etc who can be on call. Even have a chrono installed in the back of a Van to test said guns and they are NOT illegally owned.

 

Years ago a friend of mine was shooting in HIS garden and his mother was shocked to open the door to find a Cop there asking if someone was shooting in the garden.

 

Of course she said Yes my SON. The cop asked if he could have a word and she said yes come in.

 

To cut a long story short someone had their window smashed with a pellet and it WASN'T the first time either.

 

The cop asked to see the my mate and when he came in he was asked to show the cop the gun. The cop asked my mate if he had been shooting at windows (as if) of COURSE the reply was NO!

 

To which the cop took a rather deformed pellet from his pocket to show my mate and asked (is this one of yours?

 

No he said!

 

How can you be sure asked the cop?

 

Because it's a .22 and I only use .177 he replied!

 

The cops NEXT question was (whats the difference?) :lol:

 

He went on to lecture him about it being illegal to discharge a weapon in a public area (meaning his GARDEN) and it simply shouldn't be done in a built up area.

 

Eventually the Gun was confiscated and it took about 3 month to get it back :(

 

In short IF there was a trained expert (fluent in all things shooting related) was on hand for these type of call outs then perhaps the need for confiscations (sometimes a good thing) can be merited to those who have REALLY broken the law and NOT the innocent.

 

Look on the bright side at least YOUR mate managed to KEEP his gun.

 

LG

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The suggestions about a better backstop are good advice.

 

You should also consider how wise it is to be shooting an air rifle in the garden, at 8.30 pm in the evening, when its very dark.

Whilst it may be quite lawful, its not exactly going to win you any friends among the neighbours.

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What I'd do is find someone with a PCP rifle that is prepared to lend it to you. Spend an evening dry firing it every couple of minutes, and see if they report you again. If they do, things could get interesting. I'm sure it's frowned apon to make false statements to the police! :)

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Naddan, with regard to your future job prospects and security search, I suggest you file a complaint about the officers who had NO firearms experience and there refusal to even enter the garden to check out the scene.

 

You could have asked them to leave at anytime as they weren't interested in investigating the alleged offence.

 

 

 

 

LB

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I am afraid you are most likely simply a scape goat so the Police can be seen taking action against a complaint.

 

This kind of thing happens all too often. The remark about it being unlawful to discharge a air rifle-pistol (within the legal limit) on your own land is of course twaddle ;)

 

As long as the pellets don't leave the boundary of your land you have commited no offence.I SERIOUSLY wish they would send a Cop out who KNOWS the laws reguarding shooting instead of sending rookies who know NOTHING and simply make it up on spec ;)

 

LG

 

 

Sounds like you know the law, but did you know the law regarding Pellets must not leave your boundary only applies to under 17 year olds at this time ? ;)

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Sounds like you know the law, but did you know the law regarding Pellets must not leave your boundary only applies to under 17 year olds at this time ?

 

here we go.

 

 

really i did not know the bit about under 17's and pellets leaving the boundaries. Anyone got the relevant act as i am a law student (well i have studied a lot of private law at uni just not public law) so i was considering a particularly nice letter to the local police quoting the relevant acts and subsections etc.

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Sounds like you know the law, but did you know the law regarding Pellets must not leave your boundary only applies to under 17 year olds at this time ?

 

here we go.

 

 

really i did not know the bit about under 17's and pellets leaving the boundaries. Anyone got the relevant act as i am a law student (well i have studied a lot of private law at uni just not public law) so i was considering a particularly nice letter to the local police quoting the relevant acts and subsections etc.

 

 

see here, in the UNDER 17 section

 

c. Whilst under the supervision of a person aged 21 years or over, or whilst shooting, on private premises, including land, provided the missile is not fired beyond those premises.

http://www.met.police.uk/firearms-enquiries/airguns1.htm

 

 

also here, page 2, top right corner (under 17 section)

http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-p...pdf?view=Binary

 

 

also if you read paragraph 34 of the VCR bill, soon to be law, they have taken steps towards improving the current situation...

 

see here

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060038_en.pdf

 

although there are certain conditions, it is still not illegal to allow a pellet to leave private land. ;)

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Listen mate, its been done to death at least twice I can remember and I have only been here 6 months.

 

YES they are shoring up the legislation, YES it is badly worded.

 

If you think that law would stand up in court you are as daft as I think you are, that or you make a habit of feasting mostly on billy goats when you spring out from under you're bridge.

 

I encourage you to try it, shoot your neighbours windows out, better still take them out with your air rifle then try and hide behind some badly worded legislation. You are aware that the law can be challenged and changed by a suitably ranking court? Considering the number of times you bring this up perhaps you would stand by it by challenging it in the courts?

 

I didn't think so.

 

****** me off, the last time you had anything to say it was this exact same thing, try finding something else out, this time make it useful.

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