Monday, 1 December 2008

A Public Service

When they are not raiding MPs' offices in the Palace of Westminster under "anti-terror" laws, this is how plod might spoil your Christmas.

I don't know if many or any of this blog's lamentably small readership shoot, but those that do should see this letter that I received today. And those that don't shoot but know people who do, should warn them.

A friend of mine was shooting in Devon last week and he and one of his fellow guns were stopped on the A361 at about 5pm and BOTH were breathalysed on the grounds that even the passenger might be committing an offence if he was shown to be over the limit in charge of shotguns. Both were clear and proceeded on their way. My friend contacted the BASC to find out what the situation would be had his passenger been over the limit. He was told by the BASC that, even if you are over the limit, if your shotguns are "secure" in a car being driven by someone else and you are not being "a danger to the public" you are not committing an offence and the police should not breathalyse a passenger without considerable cause. My friend is in the investigations business and spoke to a police contact who looked into the incident. Apparently the police are targeting 4 x 4 vehicles throughout the country but especially in shooting areas and particularly if they are muddy and it is after lunch. You should warn your clients and friends to be particularly careful as it is not only their driving licences that are at risk. Their shotguns can be confiscated and their permits can also be revoked. Traffic police can (and are) asking if shotguns or rifles are being carried and if so, people are being asked to show their permits. If they do not have them, the shotguns can be (often are) confiscated then and there. We are under enough pressure without further ammunition (forgive the pun) being handed to the antis. Can you see the headline? DRUNK WITH A GUN.

17 comments:

Tuscan Tony said...

Ah, the Suss law re-enacted: but this time for a nice, safe target, i.e. middle class working whitey. What sad little man identified over-refreshed sportsmen as a crime-rich category? How many recent shootings have been by the hand of the man with the 19 brace of peasant in his boot?

Thought so.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Outrageous Iders!

Does this also mean that plod can barge into 'The Turrets' when I'm on the second bottle, nip upstairs and find my airgun near to the hot tank?

Blimey, I suppose it does...

Anonymous said...

The problem I often found with the police was that they are clueless about the laws they claim to enforce. Something worth bearing in mind as well. If you own a firearm your name will appear on the PNC now. Four years ago I needed to get a PNC report from plod for emigration purposes. There was no entry on the system. Since then the Home Office has linked the firearms database to the Police National Computer. I have recently had reason to make another PNC request and was surprised to see I now have an entry.

Generally Plod does not like to get involved in anything involving firearms as the amount of paperwork involved is staggering. I watched one of those awful Police programs recently and there was an incident in Canterbury where a couple of rozzers were hassling some punter who had an air rifle in his truck. (he was a gamekeeper) Plod was trying to tell him it was an offence as it was not in a cover. However since when did the interior of someones vehicle constitute a public place? Sadly there are a few bully boy thugs in the police who have a fetish about guns. I expect when they got back to the station the old lags would have put them straight.

idle said...

Not without a warrant, if you're at home, scrobs.

Advise keeping shooters away from hot tanks.

idle said...

Luckily, CmI, my local firearms man is a proper old policeman. He stayed for 45 mins on his last inspection as I took him through the origins of my 12 bores, and he told me much more about my 20 bore than I ever knew. I think he stays a while deliberately, in order to do a character profile.

And why not.

Tuscan Tony said...

Tim, Idle?

Electro-Kevin said...

They want to disarm the middle/upper classes.

Simple.

And it makes sense too ! (What do you think those concrete bollards are for in Westminster ?)

idle said...

Can't remember, Tuscan. I'll look out his card.

E-K, you are half right, I think. It is clear that the Home Office and plod also hold the rural citizen in contempt, believing him to be an uneducated barabarian, rogering his sister, torturing furred and feathered animals and intent on mayhem on the roads after quiz night at the pub.

drevetailimin said...

The Beast remembers parking his shotgun in the backroom of a pub in Derbyshire(Doveholes)along with everybody elses in a "secure" room
That room being the boot room by the kitchen.
The Landlord had a shotgun certificate so all was legal
Local plod came in for some lunch and didnt even ask to see your "ticket"
The cuntservative party as just as much to blame for this as the Labour cunts.

Thud said...

When they banned our handguns I gave up any interest in shooting here...luckily I get to indulge during the part of the year I live in America...shameful.

Anonymous said...

Idle my FEO was a thoroughly decent cove as well. He was quite proud of the fact he never issued an FAC to our friends in the "traveling community" I think things improved immeasurably when they allowed civilians to undertake firearms visits. A lot of the plods doing it either had no experience of firearms or no interest. Often both, and some were openly hostile to the idea of the public being "tooled up." Having genuine shooters undertake firearms visits was beneficial to shooters.

Anonymous said...

go and live in Spain,they love people who shoot defenceless animals there...well,shooitng is een as cheating as it's rather quick.

lilith said...

outlaws warned

Daisy said...

i can't imagine that happening here...you should see saturday and sunday during hunting season...most of the guys are still hung over from the night before...

Electro-Kevin said...

"E-K, you are half right, I think. It is clear that the Home Office and plod also hold the rural citizen in contempt, believing him to be an uneducated barabarian, rogering his sister, torturing furred and feathered animals and intent on mayhem on the roads after quiz night at the pub."

Err ... b-b-b- ... hnnn ... *grimaces awkwardly*

The definition of a virgin 'round these parts is a woman who can run faster than her dad.

I went on the Countryside Alliance march a few years back. Being in full driver's uniform I was viewed as something of an oddity among the tweeds.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day out though. Everyone was impeccably behaved. Not one bit of litter and silence observed as we passed the Cenotaph. A bit to much 'Rah rah rah' for my liking but a good bunch nonetheless.

I was deeply moved when the Union flag and the Stars and Stripes were marched side-by-side along Queen Victoria Street accompanied by a piper. Spontaneous applause broke out. (Post 9/11)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Don't worry Iders, it hasn't fired for about twenty five years, and is there to hold up one of the shelves...

Calfy said...

The trouble is you need a licence to carry a table leg in a plastic bag these days...or you get shot