IS THIS OVER CIVILIZATION OR WHAT.???

The UK authorities have authorized kids as young as 7 to carry shotguns by issuing them certificates, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act.


The figures indicated that the authorities have given shotgun licenses to 13 children under the age of 10 over the past three years.

In Gloucestershire, police have granted a license to a 7-year-old, while they issued a license to an eight-year-old in West Mercia and Cumbria, and 10 other licenses have been given to nine year olds.

Police have issued 7,071 licenses to unde-18s between 2008 and 2010, show the figures obtained by the BBC from 51 forces across the UK.

The most certificates, 418, were issued by Devon and Cornwall police, followed by West Mercia, 346, and Norfolk, 324.

In December, the House of Commons home affairs select committee described legislation in England and Wales as a "complex and confused" mess and called for tighter restrictions on gun licenses.

The committee said minimum age limits should be considered "with the aim of reducing inconsistency and complexity around the use of firearms by children".

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has recommended the introduction of an "absolute minimum age" for shooting with firearms and shotguns, set at 10 years old.

"Public protection is the first duty of any government and our firearms laws are among the toughest in the world. It is right that we keep them under review and we are prepared to tighten them further if necessary. Those controls must also be proportionate and fair and all options are on the table", said a spokesman for the Home Office, which is reviewing the laws.

poster need to be flogged slap