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Converted gun ban 'by year end' Converted gun ban 'by year end'
(20 minutes later)
The home secretary has unveiled plans to ban deactivated guns on a visit to the Liverpool suburb where schoolboy Rhys Jones was murdered. The home secretary has unveiled plans to ban deactivated guns, on a visit to the Liverpool suburb where schoolboy Rhys Jones was murdered.
Jacqui Smith said she wanted to protect the public and give police the power to remove black market firearms from the streets. Jacqui Smith said she wanted to protect the public and allow police to remove black market firearms from the streets.
She is also expected to meet the parents of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, who was shot dead on 22 August. She is also expected to meet the parents of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, who was shot dead on 22 August while returning home from football practice.
Gangs and gun crime, both prevalent in the area, will be top of the agenda.Gangs and gun crime, both prevalent in the area, will be top of the agenda.
Replica guns Ms Smith said: "I want to balance protecting the public with the rights of responsible collectors of deactivated firearms.
Ms Smith said: "Tackling gun crime is key to making people feel safer and more secure in their communities. We already have the tightest controls in Europe but there is more we can do to remove the threat of gun crime." "I will shortly consult on a way forward to allow genuine curators to collect legitimate firearms while giving the police and other enforcement agencies the powers they need to get black market firearms of our streets.
"Tackling gun crime is key to making people feel safer and more secure in their communities. We already have the tightest controls in Europe but there is more we can do to remove the threat of gun crime."
Widely available
Typically, a deactivated gun has its barrel sawn down the middle and a metal rod is then welded inside to make it incapable of discharging a bullet.
The breech block - which contains the mechanism to actually fire the bullet - is ground down so there is no firing pin.
The proposal to make converted or deactivated guns illegal comes after a huge increase in the amount of model and pellet guns to have been converted to fire live ammunition.The proposal to make converted or deactivated guns illegal comes after a huge increase in the amount of model and pellet guns to have been converted to fire live ammunition.
The police have said there are an estimated 120,000 in circulation in the UK.The police have said there are an estimated 120,000 in circulation in the UK.
Government ministers look set to reclassify them as replica guns, which are already banned. Government ministers look set to reclassify them as replica guns, which are already banned. The ruling would focus on deactivated guns made before 1995 when tough restrictions came in.
The ruling would focus on deactivated guns made before 1995 when tough restrictions came in.
Returning home
Rhys' parents, Stephen Jones, 44, and Melanie Jones, 41, are likely to hold a private meeting with the home secretary.Rhys' parents, Stephen Jones, 44, and Melanie Jones, 41, are likely to hold a private meeting with the home secretary.
Rhys was shot in the neck while returning home from football practice. Rhys was shot in the neck and despite a number of arrests nobody has been charged with the schoolboy's murder.
Despite a number of arrests nobody has been charged with the schoolboy's murder. His parents have repeatedly called for the gunman to hand himself in.
But his parents have called for the gunman to hand himself in.