MP calls for "Keyham's Law" to prevent future shootings

Luke Pollard is presenting a bill to Parliament today

Author: Simon McleanPublished 2nd Mar 2022
Last updated 2nd Mar 2022

One of Plymouth's MPs is presenting a bill to parliament which he says will help prevent a repeat of the shootings in Keyham last year.

Luke Pollard is calling for a ban on pump-action shotguns being kept in homes, as well as linking the giving out of firearms certificates to mental health records.

The bill, which the MP is calling "Keyham's Law" also seeks to make violent misogyny a hate crime, so crimes where the motivation is hatred towards women is an aggravated offence at sentencing.

He says, “I want to see changes in gun laws informed by the evidence from the Inquest and police investigations.

"That may take some time so today I am presenting the first part of Keyham’s Law with the hope that further measures can be proposed after careful consideration from these investigations.

"My bill would ban the keeping of pump-action weapons in homes. I see no good reason why anyone would need a pump-action shotgun to be kept in their homes. I want to see stricter rules on gun ownership, to stop other communities going through the pain that we have."

It follows the fatal shooting of five people in Keyham in August, before the gunman turned the gun on himself.

Some of the families of the victims will be in Parliament when the bill is presented - they'll then be meeting with policing minister Kit Malthouse.

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