Bazooka Joe Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 can an ordinary PC take your guns off you or does it have to be a firearms officer. Otherwise you give you guns to a unlicensed person? is this being responsible?. If you are not used to diffrent guns how can you tell if it safe ie not loaded Polester, any police officer can seize any evidence relating to an offence. This includes guns but common sense needs to be used. If they dont know one end of a gun from the other then they should call someone who does. Dirty Harry, I take it you mean Alleged Offence ?? Also, if an Officer seizes your gun, he should issue you with a receipt for it...........Is that so ?? BJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salisburykeeper Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Good luck mate!!! sorry to hear of your predicament As soon as you get your guns back go out and nail a big bag of magpies and leave them hanging on one of your fences in view of your recently found friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Bad luck I was once accused of shooting my neibiours cat so it ceased to exist but it had been shot with a .177 pointed and I only had a .22 and a tin of domed pellets Hope you get them back it must be so empty and lonely without them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootingman Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Good luck mate!!! sorry to hear of your predicament As soon as you get your guns back go out and nail a big bag of magpies and leave them hanging on one of your fences in view of your recently found friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 can an ordinary PC take your guns off you or does it have to be a firearms officer. Otherwise you give you guns to a unlicensed person? is this being responsible?. If you are not used to diffrent guns how can you tell if it safe ie not loaded Polester, any police officer can seize any evidence relating to an offence. This includes guns but common sense needs to be used. If they dont know one end of a gun from the other then they should call someone who does. Dirty Harry, I take it you mean Alleged Offence ?? Also, if an Officer seizes your gun, he should issue you with a receipt for it...........Is that so ?? BJ. Joe, the key word is offence. Alleged, suspected or whatever the point of the matter is the police are investigating an offence. The investigation will decide if an offence has been commited. If the police seize anything from you you should get some form of reciept. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Joe, the key word is offence. Alleged, suspected or whatever the point of the matter is the police are investigating an offence. Never the less DH, it is Alleged....... not proven......Innocent till proven guilty springs to mind, Thanks for clarifying the receipt part, BJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Got a knock on the door at about 8pm and 2 coppers were there. Said they'd had a complaint from a neighbour that I'd been shooting "indescriminately" and had hit their house. This is utter ***** as I have all my angles and directions "off pat" to make sure I only ever shoot over land I have permission on. I only fired 3 shots this evening, all thru the hushpower and all toward the back field, directly away from the house in question. (I'm 150yds off to start with) They took the guns pending a visit from the local bobby tomorrow. While I appreciate that all gun related reports are to be considered serious and acted upon, is this to be a case of my word against theirs? And could I lose my license due to them making up a bullsh@t complaint to stir it up? Yours with an empty cabinet...... *******antis!!!! I sincerely hope you get this matter sorted out ASAP. Oh and you had better change your signature (for now) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinbum71 Posted June 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Cheers guys. Had no receipt, didn't even check ID. Dumb I know, but I was somewhat taken aback! I've worked out the trajectory and direction of alleged shot to a field down the road. I've spoken to the landowners son who said that they keep chasing Gypsys shooting random things off that field lately. So, I guess the police will drop their enquiries when I tell them that! Heard nothing today, so I'm off to cop shop tomorrow to ask for them back. Wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radio1ham Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 well i would be biting mad it should of been firearms officers that take your guns away not normal pc plod as they are NOT qualified to ensure the safety of the guns so if they not firearms plod i would complain just hope it wasnt some plonkers posing as police as it has been known to happen anyway good luck hope you get them back i would strike your neigbour off christmas card list period Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 [Polester, any police officer can seize any evidence relating to an offence. This includes guns but common sense needs to be used. If they dont know one end of a gun from the other then they should call someone who does. Harry well i would be biting mad it should of been firearms officers that take your guns away not normal pc plod as they are NOT qualified to ensure the safety of the guns so if they not firearms plod i would complain just hope it wasnt some plonkers posing as police as it has been known to happen anyway good luck hope you get them back i would strike your neigbour off christmas card list period Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkfooty Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Cheers guys. Had no receipt, didn't even check ID. Dumb I know, but I was somewhat taken aback! I've worked out the trajectory and direction of alleged shot to a field down the road. I've spoken to the landowners son who said that they keep chasing Gypsys shooting random things off that field lately. So, I guess the police will drop their enquiries when I tell them that! Heard nothing today, so I'm off to cop shop tomorrow to ask for them back. Wish me luck! You heard nothing from the police today. But what did BASC say when you phoned them today? I'd hate to learn that two criminals, impersonating police officers, called at you house last night and conned you into handing your guns over to them. Stranger things have happened. Seriously, you have to take charge of this situation. As a worst case scenario, if you have an anti-gun Chief Constable, the fact that you handed your guns over to two "unknowns" without checking their IDs, could be taken as proof that you are not a responsible person and, hence, not to be trusted with a Shotgun Certificate. Far fetched? Not if you'd met some of the senior police officers I've come across. As I say, contact BASC immediately and take charge of the situation. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 well i would be biting mad it should of been firearms officers that take your guns away not normal pc plod as they are NOT qualified to ensure the safety of the guns so if they not firearms plod i would complain just hope it wasnt some plonkers posing as police as it has been known to happen anyway good luck hope you get them back i would strike your neigbour off christmas card list period I think you are wrong. Any police officer can take your weapons, they don't have to be FO's (some of who are civilians). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Joe, the key word is offence. Alleged, suspected or whatever the point of the matter is the police are investigating an offence. Never the less DH, it is Alleged....... not proven......Innocent till proven guilty springs to mind, Thanks for clarifying the receipt part, BJ. Read section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. http://www.webtribe.net/~shg/Pace%2019_23.htm Says that police can seize evidence relating to an offence. Thats what the Act of Parliment says and thats what I say. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 I think you are wrong.Any police officer can take your weapons, they don't have to be FO's (some of who are civilians). Correct Cranfiend. S19 pace applies to all police officers not just firearms officers. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el-chimbo Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) Good luck with the visit to the cop shop.. really **** situation to be in.. .. matt.. Edited June 12, 2008 by new to the flock swearing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkfooty Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) Harry, I can appreciate that, as a police officer, you will want to defend the actions of your colleagues. Such loyalty is perfectly understandable and, in many cases, will be entirely justified. But don't forget that there are, equally, many instances of police officers displaying crass stupidity and acting totally outwith their powers. That is why I advised "tinburn" to immediately contact BASC who are the professionals in dealing with matters like this. Going back to the confiscation of "tinburn"'s guns (and assuming that it transpires that no offence has been committed) what would happen if this incident had taken place during the shooting season and the police had removed his guns the day before he was due to go on a driven grouse day for which he had made an advance payment of £1000? Would he be entitled to compensation from the police? Or what if he had been a clay pigeon shot, due to attend a selection shoot for the British Olympic team the next day? I find these matters very worrying as there sometimes seems to be a failure to acknowledge that people who legally possess firearms are, by definition, amongst the most law-abiding sections of society yet we are, so often, treated as potential criminals. Edited June 12, 2008 by Pinkfooty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuck1 Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) Guys, lets not be making scapegoats of the police here. They don't drive around the countryside with a little computer, stop at a house and say to the owner "we are avin your guns guv." They act on information given to them, whether it's right or wrong, and are duty bound to investigate the circumstances. In the interim, they need to seize the weapons. I'll explain. Mrs "B" has seen a male loosely fitting tinbum's description walk down the field, turn towards the house and fire three shots in very quick succession before walking towards a road and getting into a car. Mrs "B" describes the gun as an "army style one, all black, with a big tube on top." Plod turn up and, having had a look at the computer to see who, in the area may be a gun owner, seize tinbum's weapons. Let's say for example, one is single barrelled hushpower, the other is a side by side. There is no 3 shot semi auto. See where this is going? Yes, it is an inconvienience. And as an innocent man, a worrying time. But they must be allowed to make enquiries, in order to establish his innocence. And before anyone says it, the job of the police is to present the facts to a court if necessary, not prove innocence or guilt. And yes, shooters are virtuous people, we all know that. Anyone remember Hungerford and Dunblane? Edited June 12, 2008 by tuck1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Guys, lets not be making scapegoats of the police here. They don't drive around the countryside with a little computer, stop at a house and say to the owner "we are avin your guns guv." They act on information given to them, whether it's right or wrong, and are duty bound to investigate the circumstances. In the interim, they need to seize the weapons. I agree completely. How many posts do you see on here complaining about members contacting the Police and no visible action being taken ? Here a complaint was made and visible action taken. I can just imagine the responses if someone had posted that there was a chap in a field at the back of their house firing a shotgun and damaging their property. Everyone would have waded in with the steel toecaps on and demanded that the shooter be banned from shooting for life, for giving us all a bad reputation. Sometimes it pays to read a post and then respond the next day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I think there's more to this one than meets the eye..?? As Cranners has pointed out, the Old Bill do not seize somebody's guns without good reason. As usual, we're only getting one side of the story, then of course everybody wades in and accuses the police of malpractice. I'd be interested to hear his neighbours views on this matter..?? Cat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Joe, the key word is offence. Alleged, suspected or whatever the point of the matter is the police are investigating an offence. Never the less DH, it is Alleged....... not proven......Innocent till proven guilty springs to mind, Thanks for clarifying the receipt part, BJ. Read section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. http://www.webtribe.net/~shg/Pace%2019_23.htm Says that police can seize evidence relating to an offence. Thats what the Act of Parliment says and thats what I say. Harry Never said they couldn't seize any evidense DH, read my post again, I said the offence is alleged, not proven, you are talking as if it has already being to court, & proven. I can appreciate that, as a police officer, you will want to defend the actions of your colleagues. Such loyalty is perfectly understandable and, in many cases, will be entirely justified. But don't forget that there are, equally, many instances of police officers displaying crass stupidity and acting totally outwith their powers. Interesting point by Pinkfooty, if these two officers were worth there salt, they would have known that a reciept was needed for Tinbum71 guns, obvoiusly they don't have computer access to the (Act of Parliment) webpages you have DH...lol BJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 I had a similar situation a few years ago, I was out decoying woodpigeon and there was an industrial unit about 200yds to my right and after a few hours of shooting a lone policeman arrived at the field gate and stood looking. I had informed the police I would be shooting there as there are footpaths nearby too, so I got out of the hide and waved to him. He came over and explained that the owner of the industrial unit had complained that I shot at his premises and I explained that I had been shooting in the air and with the strong L-R wind it may have carried the shot that far and I said I would move further to the left so it wouldn`t happen again and the policeman said that was OK and he would inform the owner of the unit. Hope everything goes well for you tinbum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) I think there's more to this one than meets the eye..?? As Cranners has pointed out, the Old Bill do not seize somebody's guns without good reason. As usual, we're only getting one side of the story, then of course everybody wades in and accuses the police of malpractice. I'd be interested to hear his neighbours views on this matter..?? Cat. I'm inclined to agree with Catamong, that there appears to be more to this than meets the eye, including the fact that there appears to be a history of aggro between yourself and the neighbour. "Got a knock on the door at about 8pm and 2 coppers were there. Said they'd had a complaint from a neighbour that I'd been shooting "indescriminately" and had hit their house." I find it hard to believe that the police would take steps as serious as this just based on the events in your statement above, as I am equally sure that two PC's would not just turn up, hear one side of an argument, and take your guns just on the strength of what the neighbour had said, and on their own initiative. The wording "indiscriminately" is a strange choice of wording for the police to use, as far as I am aware, there is no such offence as "indiscriminate shooting", I would have thought that "endangering the public or property" would have been a better choice of words to justify taking your guns. It is also possible that your neighbour had complained about you shooting many times before, that you had not known about, and the police had decided that the situation was getting out of hand. My view is that the decision to remove your guns was taken before the PC's arrived, at a higher level. Edited June 12, 2008 by bob300w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 mmm be very interested to hear the outcome of this story. As has been said...there's always 2 sides to every story and why hasn't tb called BASC if he so sure of his case??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floating Chamber Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) well i would be biting mad it should of been firearms officers that take your guns away not normal pc plod as they are NOT qualified to ensure the safety of the guns so if they not firearms plod i would complain just hope it wasnt some plonkers posing as police as it has been known to happen anyway good luck hope you get them back i would strike your neigbour off christmas card list period I think you are wrong. Any police officer can take your weapons, they don't have to be FO's (some of who are civilians). 1. We should refrain from referring to any sporting gun as a 'weapon'. (I had all reference to 'weapons' removed from the Malfatti Document in 1997 following the Dunblane outrage.) 2. We should never take FOs or *** as bona fide until proof of identity is shown. The Czech* saying, 'Pozor! Je to pravda odveka saty delaj cloveka.' ('Warning! It is the truth that clothes make the man' - beware of imposters) is taught to children very early on. 3. Surely, the agent sent to confiscate the sporting guns would have all the necessary documentation, serial numbers and a receipt book? * Je mi moc lito! Ucim se cesky, trochu rozumim ale mluvim spatne! Snazim se! I apologise to my adopted country for omitting the carkas and haceks! FC Edited 11.17 (spacing) Edited June 12, 2008 by Floating Chamber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Sam Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Unfortunately they are called weapons in the firearms acts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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