Gun crime up in Notts

GUN crime in Notts has increased 116% in nine years, according to new figures.

There were 240 offences involving guns in the county between April 1 2007 and March 31 2008, compared to 111 in 1998/99.

The Notts rise is above both the national and East Midlands average for the same nine year period.

In the East Midlands there were 649 offences involving guns in 2007/8, compared to 331 in 1998/99. This represents a 96% rise.

Across England and Wales there was an 89% rise, to 9,865 offences in 2007/8 compared to 5,209 nine years ago.

The Home Office figures, released to the Conservatives in Parliamentary answers, show a full breakdown of gun crime by police force and region.

Only four force areas - Cleveland, Humberside, Cambridgeshire and Sussex - experienced a fall in gun crime over the same period.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "In areas dominated by gang culture, we're now seeing guns used to settle scores between rivals as well as turf wars between rival drug dealers. We need to redouble our efforts to deal with the challenge."

A Home Office spokesman said it was "misleading" to compare figures for 2007/9 with those from before 2002, due to changes in recording practices.

The spokesman added: "There has been an 11% fall in gun crime since 2005 and provisional figures for firearm offences recorded by the police show they account for 0.2 per cent of all recorded crime.

"The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world, with a five year mandatory minimum sentence for gun possession, which we expect to be enforced, and average sentences for firearm possession triple those of a decade ago."