Firearms licensing failures undermine public safety and fail rural communities

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The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) has expressed serious concern following findings by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, which identified significant and prolonged failures in firearms licensing across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Government inspectors confirmed that shotgun and firearms licence applications and renewals have been left unresolved for up to two years, prompting the issue of an accelerated cause of concern, the most serious warning available. Inspectors concluded that the current licensing arrangements are not keeping the public safe.

The inspection referenced 2,190 unanswered emails from applicants and the issuing of over 1,000 temporary permits, highlighting the scale of the backlog and the inability of licensing teams to manage demand effectively.

Based on direct and repeated contact from members, the NGO understands these forces to be among the poorest performing areas we hear about most often. We consistently receive calls and correspondence from certificate holders who are exasperated by prolonged delays, unanswered communications and the lack of clear engagement from firearms licensing teams.

While the inspection relates to a specific tri force collaboration, the NGO is clear that this is not simply an administrative issue. Law abiding certificate holders are being left unable to renew licences through no fault of their own, placing individuals and employers in prolonged uncertainty and creating circumstances where public safety is undermined by systemic inaction rather than effective risk-based decision making.

For many licence holders, firearms are not recreational. Gamekeepers, pest controllers, farmers and other rural professionals rely on them for their livelihood. Poor communication and unresolved renewals leave people in stressful and precarious situations, eroding confidence in a licensing system that should be transparent, proportionate and focused on safeguarding.

Livia Brynin, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, said:

“These forces are among the poorest performing areas we hear about most often. We regularly receive calls from members who are exasperated by the lack of service and the absence of clear communication from firearms licensing teams.

“When people are left unable to renew licences through no fault of their own, that is not a failure of compliance by the licence holder. It is a failure of the system. Firearms licensing is a safeguarding function and must be properly resourced and professionally managed if it is to serve public safety.”

Police and Crime Commissioners for the three forces have publicly accepted the findings, acknowledged unacceptable systemic issues, and stated that firearms licence holders, including those at the heart of rural communities, have been let down. They have also confirmed that they will hold Chief Constables to account for delivering urgent improvements to performance and service standards.

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation will continue to press for a firearms licensing system that is robust, proportionate and fit for purpose, one that protects public safety while treating lawful certificate holders fairly, consistently and with the professionalism they deserve.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation: The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, there are 13,000 members of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation.  www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk