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To report or not to report?


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I have our a call into BASC for advice but they are taking their time and i need too de-iced what to do quite shortly.

 

Without boring you with too much detail, i was confronted this morning by an angry dog walker ranting that i shouldn't be shooting near a public footpath as 'ball bearings were raining down on her'. I had fired one cartridge from around 100M away in a direction that was 90 degrees to where she was stood and at a 40/60 degree angle to kill pigeon. She then waited until i approached before releasing a barrage of BS and staying that she would call the police which i explained was good idea as she may listen to them as they would say the same thing i was. She stormed off and then a hour later in my journey home i was stopped by a car and she began shouting out of the window and taking photographs saying she had called the police etc etc.. and she was going to hire a metal detector to prove that ball bearing where everywhere, she got further upset when i asked how she would prove that they were mine, in the unlikely event she found anything.

 

My question is would it do more harm than good to prophylactically advise the FAO? The chances are that she didn't call the police and even if she did her complaint was that i was breaking the law (i wasn't) by something nearly happening... I'm not sure how many complaints there are about people nearly speeding?

 

I wondered what the consensus of opinion was?

 

Lastly shall i raise a complaint against her (i have her car reg number) for harassment, intimidation and abusing my right to privacy?

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Keep your phone on you, get familiar with the voice recorder function, record all future confrontations, better still video her, she won't like it but you can do it covertly by holding the phone in such a way so it's not obvious but directed at her.

Stay civil at all times, remind her where the footpath is ( if she wanders from it).

Find lots of nice ways to tell her to do one and mind her own business!

Don't bother your feo with it just yet...

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I'd say to email the FEO, giving full details as to what happened, and her numberplate. Explain in the email that you are doing all of this because of her threats.

 

Most FEOs are shooters themselves, and many will have encountered similar in the past.

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What she will not have done is contacted your FEO - she probably doesn't know they exist - but may well have contacted the police. In case she has, or does, I'd be inclined to simply report the incident to your local station (if unlike me now, you still have one) giving the details of her actions.

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I'd say to email the FEO, giving full details as to what happened, and her numberplate. Explain in the email that you are doing all of this because of her threats.

 

Most FEOs are shooters themselves, and many will have encountered similar in the past.

I agree with the above >> BUT since when has this been the case? >> Most FEOs are shooters themselves, and many will have encountered similar in the past. >> Most if not all of the feos that I have encountered over the years dont know the pointy end from the blunt bit. I even had one come out with " 223 ? " Is that one of those hornet things " ? I kid you not. Make it up as you go along jobby.

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Do you have regular contact with your FEO?

 

I ask this as I haven't spoken to mine in 2 years, in fact he left and has been replaced apparently.... If you don't have a relationship with the FEO then don't start one to just tell them about that at this stage.

 

I personally wouldn't do anything about it for now as Paul said in the first comment, I'd just monitor it and get phone out and video any future encounters. You can either covertly do it, or you can declare that for your own safety you are filming your discussion and will be submitting the evidence to the police.

 

At the very most you could phone in the non emergency line and let them know you were verbally abused by an anti shooter who became hysterical and acted dangerously on the road and you thought to report it in case they had received reports of erratic driving at the time.

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Personally I'd get in there first if possible. Inform your local plod ( like Wymberley my local is closed) about the entire business and make it plain you are unhappy about being forced to pull over and being verbally abused.

 

Even worse, i was a pedestrian attempting to cross the road with a car stopped in an intimidating manner.. BASC suggest dong nothing, seemingly the same as their stance of LAG, EU legislation etc etc

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Thanks for the advice guys, no i don't have a relationship with my FAO, i have no idea who it is and like you say not the best of 'introductions' especially as my FAC is in the system (although large pile). It seems that it is best to keep quiet until it becomes an issue, i would imagine any sensible police person would view it as the non event that it is and suggest she takes her HRT and bothers someone else.

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If you've done it prophylactically you should be fully protected

 

My question is would it do more harm than good to prophylactically advise the FAO? The chances are that she didn't call the police and even if she did her complaint was that i was breaking the law (i wasn't) by something nearly happening... I'm not sure how many complaints there are about people nearly speeding?

 

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stressful pain in the neck..I would tell land owner it happened so he/she in picture as if it does go anywhere it will be via them.you have no case to answer and without witnesses cannot see how she can possibly back up her complaint etc...dont fret,happened to me @ 10 years ago when I apparantly was rattling bedroom windows from 650 yards and said I would welcome the police to attend .It is still not a pleasant experience so don't take it personally.

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It might be wise to ring the police the next few times that you go and simply ask for a "u r n" (unique reference number) so that they know you are there - it's also really useful in situations that you encountered if you can inform the idiot abusing you that the Police are fully aware that you are there - normally shut's them up - I like to rub it in a bit by then offering them my phone to call the police - try it next time :good:

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We used to have a situation whereby a bloke who lived in a house on the farm used to shout out things like > murderer and a rustic form of go away. HE was really wild about it waving his arms around ECT. But if you came across him out on the farm he was quite normal. Good day, have you had any luck ECT. We wondered if he had been at the bottle or something. He was an actor so perhaps he was practising or something. We took no notice of him.

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stressful pain in the neck..I would tell land owner it happened so he/she in picture as if it does go anywhere it will be via them.you have no case to answer and without witnesses cannot see how she can possibly back up her complaint etc...dont fret,happened to me @ 10 years ago when I apparantly was rattling bedroom windows from 650 yards and said I would welcome the police to attend .It is still not a pleasant experience so don't take it personally.

Many thanks, yes I did this, they said not to worry and thanks for letting them know.

It might be wise to ring the police the next few times that you go and simply ask for a "u r n" (unique reference number) so that they know you are there - it's also really useful in situations that you encountered if you can inform the idiot abusing you that the Police are fully aware that you are there - normally shut's them up - I like to rub it in a bit by then offering them my phone to call the police - try it next time :good:

Good point, thanks, I always used to do this but the haven't this year, for no reason, I will revert back to doing it.

We used to have a situation whereby a bloke who lived in a house on the farm used to shout out things like > murderer and a rustic form of go away. HE was really wild about it waving his arms around ECT. But if you came across him out on the farm he was quite normal. Good day, have you had any luck ECT. We wondered if he had been at the bottle or something. He was an actor so perhaps he was practising or something. We took no notice of him.

I bet he's great on Internet forums....

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Personally I would report the matter. If she reports it, you will already be on the back foot - some will disagree.

 

As for FEOs knowing nothing about shooting - FEOs in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are keen clay shooters.

when i put my renewal forms in back in november i asked to add HM2(Mach2),when i had a visit from my feo he asked me what a HM2 was and i had to show him on my laptop!

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Personally I would report the matter. If she reports it, you will already be on the back foot - some will disagree.

 

As for FEOs knowing nothing about shooting - FEOs in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are keen clay shooters.

My mum has shot clays but still hasn't a clue on firearms tho . Mandy at west mids is brilliant but some that have visited had no knowledge.
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The advice is already above

 

I had one the other day, she wanted to know why i did not join the army I explained I am al little past 17 and not a risk of going to borstal. Also that the army are not often doing crop protection for farmers, close protection is the nearest thing they do sometimes but still not for farmers. I was very calm and explained the whole shooting crop protection thing and I could see she started to get it.... she was coming around :friends: ..... then it happened :/

 

 

She said " I used to have a rabbit in my garden, I expect you shot that as well" and parted with you meet all sort of nasty people in the countryside...... I agreed with her and off she toddled

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Personally I would report the matter. If she reports it, you will already be on the back foot - some will disagree.

 

As for FEOs knowing nothing about shooting - FEOs in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are keen clay shooters.

About half of the feo I have had in lancs were non shooters over quite a few years. I was told by someone who won't be named but is a serving officer in the force there is a strong move away from shooters doing feo work as regards applications

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If you have hassle from someone when you are shooting or in charge of a firearm report it and get a reference number I'd the main rule If it's over safety

 

Within a hundred yards I doubt I should shoot regardless of direction I was firing with onlookers. A cripple flying on and landing at thier feet is bound to lead to hassle

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