A BAN on a type of airgun which can be converted to fire live ammunition was today praised by an air weapon stockist.

The ban on buying, selling, making, or acquiring any air weapon containing a self-contained gas cartridge system came into force this week.

Anybody breaking the new law faces a minimum jail term of five years, unless they secure a firearms certificate for their weapon.

The news was welcomed by Roy Giles, the proprietor of House Of Angling, in Commercial Road, Swindon.

He sells air weapons for use against targets and vermin, as well as a full selection of angling equipment.

But he has never sold the guns involved in the ban. He said: "I think the new law makes sense.

"I believe that if a serious shooter was going to buy one of these then they should have a firearms certificate."

The Government has changed the law because it says there have been cases in which the weapons have been modified to accept and fire live ammunition.

The modification is possible because the reusable compressed air canisters which provide the pressure to fire the pellets are similar to standard bullets in both size and shape.

The guns also often resemble standard firearms. South Swindon Labour MP Julia Drown has been campaigning to control air weapons and has met victims of gun crime.

She said: "People in Swindon are rightly concerned about the growing use of these dangerous weapons.

"I have worked with police on this issue and have been calling for stronger legislation."

She added that she welcomed the new laws.

Ongoing fears about the proliferation of guns in Britain were highlighted by the murder of two young women in Birmingham just over a year ago.

That tragedy sparked a gun amnesty which ran for the first three months of last year, during which some 400 weapons, ranging in size from small calibre pistols to a deactivated .303 calibre Second World War vintage heavy machine gun, were handed in at police stations across the county.

Although the new law is now in force, a period of grace has been announced.

Until May 1, the owners of the weapons in question have the option of either handing over their gun or applying for a licence.

Anybody who needs advice on the subject should call in at their local police station or call the police on 01793 528111.

Barrie Hudson