Call for tougher air rifle laws

Mitchel Picken was shot in the eye

The father of a 12-year-old boy who died after being shot with an air rifle has called for the government to introduce tougher laws on the weapons.

Mitchel Picken died in August 2006 after being shot in the eye at his friend's home in Stockton Brook.

The boy was cleared of manslaughter at Stafford Crown Court which heard the rifle belonged to his father and Mitchell was killed accidentally.

The government said it recently tightened controls on owning the guns.

Under current rules, no licence is required to own a standard air gun.

Andrew Picken said the laws treated air rifles as "toys".

Mr Picken, of Baddeley Green, said: "We want to see people that buy these (air rifles) take responsibility for them.

"The law as it stands is totally inadequate. It portrays the myth that air guns are boy's toys.

"But seriously they aren't a toy, they take people's lives."

He added that the family had found it hard to cope without Mitchel.

"Any traces of the life that we had are gone. I think only people who have ever lost a child would appreciate what the last 18 months have been like," he said.

"He was 12 years old and he's had all his dreams taken away from him."

New measures

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We totally condemn the irresponsible misuse of air weapons and have the deepest sympathy for those who are injured or killed as a result."

She said the government tightened controls through the Violent Crime Reduction Act last October and measures included requiring businesses to register with police as dealers and complete sales on a face-to-face basis.

The minimum age for buying an air weapon had also been raised to 18.

The spokeswoman added it needed to see the effect of the new measures before "contemplating further legislation".