91Èȱ¬

Gun crime affects a far larger number of people in Britain than previously thought, a survey claims.

A poll of more than 2,000 adults in England, Wales and Scotland showed nearly half (45%) believed their area was less safe than it was five years ago due to gun and knife crime.

In London 42% surveyed by YouGov for the think-tank Policy Exchange said they or their immediate family were at risk of such crimes, as opposed to nearly a third of people (29%) in the rest of the country.

In rural areas, 23% of residents said they or their family were at risk.

Nearly a fifth of men (18%) claimed they knew how to get their hands on an illegal firearm - the equivalent of five million people - while one in eight said they knew someone who had such a weapon, or had owned one in the past.

The report, Gun and Knife Crime in Great Britain, claimed that gun culture now
affected not just lower income groups but all sections of society in all parts of the country.

Policy Exchange research director Gavin Lockhart said: "It is clear that it is no longer just hardened criminals who have access to guns or deprived inner city communities which are affected by them.

"Britain's gun culture has become so endemic it affects huge swathes of the population, with millions of people saying they know how to get hold of illegal firearms and millions more feeling personally threatened by them.

"It is no surprise that gun crime casualties have quadrupled in the past decade, or that voters are demanding the Government take a far more hardline stance."

In the poll, nearly eight out of 10 adults said they wanted more armed police
patrols to combat gun and knife crime.

"The British traditionally prefer having unarmed bobbies, but they have become
so frightened of gun crime the overwhelming majority now wants more armed police
patrols," Mr Lockhart said.

The survey also showed 88% of those questioned backed an increase in the five-year minimum sentence for possessing an illegal firearm, and 82% believed the Government had not done enough to tackle gun crime.

91Èȱ¬ Office figures show the number of gun-related fatalities and injuries increased from 864 incidents in 1998/99 to 3,821 in 2005/06.

In the poll, more than half of Londoners (56%) said they felt less safe as a result of gun and knife crime than they did five years ago.

A representative sample of 2,156 adults were questioned online in the UK, excluding Northern Ireland.

Background

In February 91Èȱ¬ News London reported the number of shootings and murders involving people aged under 20 in London's black community, has more than doubled in the past four years.

Figures from Scotland Yard's Operation Trident unit found the number of people killed or injured by guns had risen from 31 in 2003 to 76 in 2006.

91Èȱ¬ Office figures revealed the number of people killed by guns in the UK dropped to 50 in 2006 from 75 in 2005.

Your views

I am 44 year old man, 6 foot tall, medium to large build and live in a pretty low crime area - Victoria, but I feel less safe on London's streets than I did five years ago.Ìý I very rarely see uniformed police officers who can make arrests and take action when necessary.Ìý The only uniformed people I tend to see are either Traffic Wardens or Community Support Officers (CSO's) - who have very little power whatsoever.

The CSO's are a total waste of money, they've been put on the streets so people can think there's a police officer about when there's not.Ìý They should be given the option to either train and become fully qualified Police Officers or become civil staffÌý for the Metropolitan Police Service.

Meanwhile the government should toughen up on its act with British law and make life mean life, give much longer sentences for rapes, sexually abusing children, etc. than it does for robbing banks... Money can be reprinted, people's life experiences can't.

We should have similar sentences to the ones they have in America.Ìý They should also do away with concurrent sentences, allow someone sentenced to 5 or 10 years out after serving 5 or 10 years with good behaviour and not release them early if they're good little boys whilst inside.Ìý If people cause trouble whilst in prison, lengthen their sentences, otherwise they are exempt form the law whilst inside.

I am also sick to death with all the "professional" beggars and Big Issue sellers.
Steve Smith

The fear of gun and knife crimes is affecting all Londoners.Ìý I live in North Croydon, a multicultural, multiracial area which is also mixed in terms of income and housing.Ìý I walked through several parks within 2 miles of my home during August at the height of the school holidays; most were completely empty with no children or young people in sight.Ìý I'm told that they are regarded as unsafe because of fear of local gangs.
Ann