Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Tizard has urged the Home Secretary to launch an urgent review of firearms licensing laws following the ease with which convicted triple murderer Nicholas Prosper was able to buy a shotgun.
Warning: Some readers may find details in this article and related articles distressing
Prosper, who was just 18 years old at the time, obtained the weapon from a registered firearms holder using a fake certificate. Within 24 hours, he used it to murder three family members at their home in Leabank, Luton.
Detectives later revealed that Prosper had also planned a mass shooting at a nearby primary school, but was stopped after police noticed him acting erratically.
He later pleaded guilty to the murders of his mother, Juliana Falcon, 47, and his brother Kyle, 16, and sister Giselle Prosper, 13.
Read: Teenage killer planned ‘massacre of the century’ (BBC)
Gun licensing loopholes
An investigation found that the seller who provided the shotgun to Prosper had not committed any offences, as they were following the current firearms legislation.
Under existing laws, vendors have seven days to notify the police of a firearm sale or exchange – a delay that Tizard says leaves dangerous gaps in the system.
In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Tizard has called for urgent changes to firearms legislation, including:
- Requiring police confirmation before firearm sales – Buyers should have to provide official documentation from the police proving they are legally entitled to own a firearm before completing a purchase.
- A national firearms licence database – Allowing police forces across the country to quickly verify whether someone is a legitimate firearms holder.
- Faster reporting of firearm sales – Removing the seven-day window to ensure sales are logged immediately.
Read: Bedford schools reviewing security after Luton shooting
In his letter, Tizard wrote, ‘This case has exposed a major system failure and serious shortcomings in the current law.
‘I believe that new legislation is needed to ensure public safety and restore confidence in firearms licensing policy and processes when firearms are sold or exchanged.’
He urged the government to introduce new regulations as a priority, saying, There is an urgent need for legislative change.
‘The public rightly expects stringent and effective safeguards to regulate gun sales and exchanges – especially when the vendor is a private individual. We must act now to keep people safe.’
Tizard hopes that changes could be introduced quickly through secondary legislation, or, if necessary, be included in the current Crime and Policing Bill.
Meanwhile, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire police forces are already introducing measures to help legitimate firearms holders spot fraudulent licences and be more cautious about sales.
The Home Office is yet to respond to the PCC’s request.
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