I strongly suspect thay gun crime has increased in my area (Manchester, UK) because of the fact that handguns are now illegal. Sit in any pub with an element of 'gangstas' in and you will hear them bragging about their new gun like they used to about their new mountain bike or designer trainers. This IS from personal experience btw! It has become a fasion accesory.

Problem is that the law has been made but it is not being applied. Other laws work against it. Stop and Search is no longer available for instance. So how can the police hope to detect a hand gun before it is used? What has happened is that the people who do care about the law will not carry guns while those who do not will. Another unfair advantage for the criminal!

The banning of handguns was, I genuinely believe, done in good faith. However the politicos now realy need to think it through and evaluate how it can best be applied. Until then we will get more and more cases of illegal gun crime going unchecked while legal defense of person and property becomes an easy target for the enforcement agencies.

Just my views. (And of course, therfore, the right ones;-) )

Cheers

DtG