The United Kingdom has introduced stricter gun control measures aimed at preventing individuals with histories of violence or domestic abuse from acquiring firearms.
The new rules, announced Tuesday, follow multiple high-profile shootings that exposed serious gaps in the UK’s firearm licensing system, including the 2020 Woodmancote and 2021 Keyham killings.
Under the revised guidance, police must now interview partners or other household members of gun licence applicants to assess the risk of domestic abuse. Additional checks are also required to identify applicants with violent records or those who have withheld key medical information.
The move comes after a 2023 inquest into the Keyham shooting found “catastrophic failures” in the system that allowed Jake Davison, 22, to legally obtain a shotgun despite a known history of violence. Davison killed five people, including his mother and a three-year-old girl, before taking his own life.
Similarly, in 2020, Robert Needham shot and killed his partner and two daughters with a licensed shotgun, despite failing to disclose his history of depression and work-related stress during the application process.
Under the new rules, applicants for shotgun licences must now provide two referees instead of one—bringing the process in line with other firearm licensing requirements. Evidence of dishonesty, including failure to disclose relevant health information, will now count against applications.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said only individuals meeting the “highest standards of safety and responsibility” should be allowed to possess firearms.
“The events in Woodmancote, Keyham, and more recently in Luton, are tragic reminders of the consequences of poor oversight,” Johnson said.
The latest reform follows the 2024 case of Nicholas Prosper, who forged a firearms licence to purchase a shotgun and ammunition before killing three members of his family in Luton. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 49 years.
A fresh public consultation later this year is expected to consider even tighter controls on shotgun ownership and improve rules on private firearms sales.
Emma Ambler, whose sister and nieces were killed in the 2020 Woodmancote shooting, welcomed the changes but urged further action.
“Holding a gun licence is a privilege, not a right,” she said. “These reforms are a step in the right direction, but there’s still more to be done to ensure these weapons don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
