The recent Campaign for National Parks (CNP) survey has highlighted the public support for shooting, with the sport voted by as the third most popular recreational activity out of a…
Mark Layton
News Editor Shooting Times
British Shooting poised to build on Olympic success
British Shooting, the national governing body for Olympic shooting in the UK, will build upon its Rio 2016 success by seeking new funding to improve and enhance its talent pathway…
Shooters welcome chance to debate driven grouse shooting
Shooting organisations say the public has been misled, but welcome the chance to state their case and debate driven grouse shooting, after a Government petition to ban driven grouse shooting…
British Medical Association makes U-turn on licence fees
The British Medical Association (BMA) has advised GPs not to provide shooters’ medical information to the police without a fee and suggested that it is acceptable to withhold the service on ethical grounds. The new…
Rain and snow could mean a late start for some this grouse season
Bad weather has once again led to mixed prospects for the start of the upcoming grouse season, according to gamekeepers and sporting agents across England and Scotland. A prolonged period of wet weather, combined with very…
Knee-jerk legislation dropped from EU Firearms Directive
A revised set of amendments to the EU Firearms Directive has been drafted, removing some of those proposals that had been criticised as unnecessary restrictions on lawful gun owners. Following the terrorist attacks in Paris last…
RSPB calls for grouse moor licensing
The RSPB has called for grouse moor licensing after withdrawing its support for the Government’s Hen Harrier Joint Action Plan, claiming that the project has failed due to the continued…
Shooters look to post-Brexit future
Shooting organisations have revealed how they believe Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will likely impact on shooters. The general consensus is that only time will tell, but there…
Farming groups press DEFRA for clarification on post-Brexit policies
The National Farmer’s Union (NFU) and the CLA have set out what they believe is required to secure the immediate future of the UK rural economy post-Brexit. DEFRA secretary Elizabeth…
Rural groups highlight scope for new opportunities after Brexit
Rural businesses must work together to stay profitable and create opportunity as the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU), say country groups. Around 52 per cent of voters opted…
BASC to fight global ban on lead ammunition
BASC is fighting plans by members of a global conservation organisation to impose a worldwide ban on lead. A motion tabled ahead of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s…
Shooters decry airgun licence fee
The Scottish Government has finally confirmed that the new airgun licence fee will be £72 for new applications. Visitor permits will be £20, while there will be a £5 charge for existing shotgun…
“Muirburn could have prevented blaze on Howden Moor,” say keepers
Gamekeepers and countryside groups have stressed the importance of muirburn as a conservation tool, following the fire that destroyed more than 200 acres of heather moorland on the National Trust-owned…
Essex Police to cut licensing backlog
The changes come as a meeting was held this week, chaired by Essex Deputy Chief Constable Matt Horne and attended by BASC, the National Farmers’ Union and the Countryside Alliance, to…
Police commissioners declare their support for shooting
More than half of the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) for England and Wales have declare their support for shooting. Their backing for the sport comes in response…
Quality of licensing service is a “postcode lottery”, says CA
The Countryside Alliance (CA) has said the quality of service a legal gun owner is likely to receive is a “real postcode lottery”. Following a Freedom of information (FOI) request, the CA…
Quiz Police and Crime Commissioner candidates on shooting views, urges BASC
BASC is giving firearms owners the opportunity to find out what candidates in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections think about shooting. The elections are taking place on Thursday,…
EU tables more “irrelevant” Firearms Directive proposals
Shooting organisations have expressed concern that further “draconian” amendments to the EU Firearms Directive have been tabled by the European Council, despite a number of MEPs already agreeing that existing proposals are “rushed”…
Cost-cutting gamekeepers risk their drives, say experts
The company this month warned that, rather than poor weather conditions, it is keepers cutting corners with inadequate cultivation, inferior seed, too little fertiliser and poor pest control that are…
Shooting groups welcome tagging of medical records
A new “encoded reminder” system will make it easier for GPs to inform the police if they believe a firearms or shotgun certificate holder should not be in possession of…