Warning over BB guns

Imitation firearms bought in Wales looked so real they could easily be mistaken for genuine weapons, trading standards bosses have warned.

One of almost 50 imitation firearms purchased during a countrywide safety survey was so powerful it could have been fired with lethal consequences.

The Wales Heads of Trading Standards Group carried out the survey on the safety of ball-bearing (BB) guns.

Three of the suspect imitation guns were bought in Powys by trading standards officers "test purchasing". They failed to comply with labelling regulations, said a county council spokesman.

Today, trading standards officers used the results of the survey to reinforce the message it is illegal to carry an imitation firearm in a public place.

And they emphasise, since the law was tightened on October 1, it is an offence to manufacture or supply a realistic imitation firearm to anyone. It is now also illegal to supply an imitation firearm to anyone under the age of 18. The distinction between realistic and non-realistic firearms will be based on size and colour.

Councillor Graham Brown, Powys Community Safety Partnership chairman, said: "It is my understanding one of the BB guns purchased was so powerful it was deemed capable of firing with a lethal force."

Chief Inspector Andy Twigger, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said police officers were regularly called on to deal with the sighting of a firearm in a public place.

He said: "The new legislation will help control the presence of replicas on our streets, and the message we want to give is that replica firearms have no place in our communities."