Clause 42 - Possession of air weapon or imitation firearm in public place
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
10:00 am
Ms Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes, Labour)
Not being a legal expert, I will not attempt to interpret the law. That is better left to those who are better briefed. I am attempting to demonstrate the serious problem that we face. After listening to the Opposition speeches, I do not see how the deletion of parts of clause 42 would address the serious problems in my constituency.
By chance, another news story echoes the story that my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, South mentioned. The incident happened a couple of weeks ago, in my constituency. The headline was, ''Air rifle girl could have been blinded''. A 12-year-old travelling in an open-top car with her mother was shot at, probably from private property, as they were travelling along a road in the direction of Waltham in my constituency. She was hit by the pellet, which grazed her forehead and she bled quite a bit. Obviously, the injury was not fatal, but that brought home to me that misuse of air weapons is particularly serious. There was another case last year in my constituency, in the Humberside police area. For certain reasons, I will not name the person concerned. A woman died after being shot with an air pistol. A life was lost and others were ruined because of the nature of the problem that we are dealing with.
Doctors in St. James's university hospital in Leeds say that the problem is serious. They are treating a large number of patients with airgun injuries, half of whom are under 18. Some of the children injured are as young as four. Let us not underestimate what we are dealing with. Perhaps I am getting a little emotional about the issue, but—and I have declared this as an interest—a while back I was shot with an air weapon. The shot was from a private place into a public place. I probably am getting emotional about the subject, because I understand what my constituents are going through. [Interruption.] I hear Opposition Members say that air weapons are still illegal; I repeat that I do not understand how their amendments to clause 42 will make the situation better. I simply do not believe that they will.