Police hand out shotgun licenses to nine-year-olds
SUSSEX Police are handing out licenses for shotguns to kids as young as nine-years-old.
Sussex cops have dished out gun permits to a staggering 403 children under the age of 18 in the last two years – more than anywhere else in the UK.
Cops have even given licenses for shotguns to four nine-year-olds and three ten-year-olds.
All that gun-totting kids have to do to get a license is fill out a form and attend a short police interview.
The permits allow Sussex youngsters to own weapons as powerful as 12-bore semi-automatic shotguns. They also cover .22 rifles, .234 rifles, .410 pistols and .410 shotguns – all are potentially lethal weapons.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "It's not as alarming as it sounds. The figures reflect the fact that Sussex is a rural county with a shooting and hunting tradition. For farmers and young people living in the countryside, engaging in rural pursuits, it's the correct way to teach them how to use a gun responsibly and to license it from an early age."
Last year the EU banned anyone under the age of 18 from owning a gun.
The ruling isn't law in the UK yet so British kids can still apply for a gun permit and get their hands on deadly weapons. It may be as late as 2010 before UK law stops kids 'legally' getting their hands on these powerful weapons.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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