91Èȱ¬

Since Wednesday's horrific events in Cumbria, emotions have ebbed and flowed. Understandably the spotlight has now hit the UK's gun laws, so on Friday's Breakfast Show we looked at how a change in the law could effect Gloucestershire.

Our County has around 2500 registered firearms holders, and just over 10500 registered shotgun holders. The police told us that these figures are in line with areas of a similar size and amount of farm land.

Farmers Graham Nicholls from Kingscote, and Roland Blackwell from Stonehouse joined me on the show and told us how important the gun is for life on the farm, particularly for pest control. They told us about the 5 yearly gun licence checks that take place, which prompted lots of thoughts and calls including this text message...

"Gun licenses should be renewed every year not every 5 years. You have to renew your car every year. A lot can happen in 5 years - Edward in Hucclecote".

Cars are lethal weapons in the wrong or irresponsible hands, so Edward may have a point.

Many listeners told us that we should remember that "it was the man, and not the gun that committed such horrendous crimes", but this was a point that I put to Dr Derek Indoe, a consultant in clinical forensic psychology. He told us that, "the man had access to a gun, and it is no accident that most murders in the home take place in the kitchen - where there are knives."

So what is the answer? Should the laws be tightened? Delly Everard, from the Gloucestershire branch of the Countryside Alliance told us that "guns were an important part of rural life in Gloucestershire", and that they were "working with the government to prevent, what the Alliance felt, was a knee jerk reaction towards hand guns after the Dunblane tragedy."

Whatever the outcome we all hope and pray that nothing like this happens again, whilst thinking of those whose lives have been taken or effected in Cumbria.

We all have our opinions, and thank you for sharing yours over the past week. Join Mark back from his holidays on Monday from 6am whilst I'm back with Drivetime from 5pm.
Steve Kitchen