Probelms with the gun licensing system are putting public safety at risk, official inspectors have warned.
The firearms licensing system across England and Wales is not fit for purpose, creating a "postcode lottery" in the level of scrutiny applied to applicants and certificate holders, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) stated.
The inspectors blamed "unclear guidance and legislation" along with "poor supervision and oversight" for these deficiencies, calling for a new national authority to be established.
There are currently almost 500,000 certificate holders for firearms and shotguns across England and Wales.
Over the ten years to March 2025, shootings involving legally held weapons led to the murder of at least 39 people, HMICFRS reported.
The inspectorate said a new authority should replace the current 38 firearms and explosive licensing units.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman said: “Most of the nearly 500,000 certificate holders use their firearms and shotguns responsibly for lawful recreation or as essential tools for work. But they are faced with a postcode lottery in the service they receive from firearms and explosive licensing units.
“They, and the wider public, deserve a system that is clear, consistent and robust. We found the current system is none of these things.
“This is not the first time the inspectorate and others have raised concerns about firearms licensing, and change is now overdue.
“A new national firearms licensing authority should be created to better protect public safety. Further tragedies shouldn’t be required before action is taken.”
Responding to the report, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world.
“We have taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen firearms licensing, including publication of robust statutory guidance for police, the introduction of mandatory medical checks, new national training for forces, and increases in firearms licensing fees.
“A number of recommendations in this report reflect work already underway. This includes a review of firearms licensing arrangements which is taking place as part of the Government’s wider police reform agenda.
“We will work closely with policing partners to consider the report and take forward any further action that may be required to strengthen firearms controls and keep the public safe.”
The Countryside Alliance said many police licensing departments have a huge backlog.
Chief executive Tim Bonner said: “The HMICS report is riddled with contradictions.
“It correctly identifies the failure of the current fragmented licensing system and supports our proposal for a single effective licensing body. However, the recommendations for a raft of new regulations including the alignment of shotguns with high-powered rifles, new competence tests and face-to-face medical checks are both unjustified and completely impractical.
“Many police licensing departments already have a huge backlog and some have even stopped accepting new applications. If these proposals were implemented, they would cause carnage in the licensing system and do untold damage to the shooting sector, which is a crucial part of the rural economy.”
Campaigners have previously suggested the 50-year-old Firearms Act is not fit for purpose after shooting incidents.
In one such case in Plymouth in 2021, Jake Davison, 22, killed his mother Maxine, 51, and then shot dead three-year-old Sophie Martyn, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66.
He then turned the weapon on himself as he was confronted by an unarmed police officer on August 12 2021.
Davison legally held a shotgun certificate and weapon having been obsessed with firearms from a young age due to a trait in autism of developing a “special interest”.
His weapon and certificate were seized in September 2020 after Davison was captured on CCTV punching a 16-year-old boy up to nine times in a skate park, but were handed back to him just five weeks before the killings.