THEFTS of guns in the Barnsley area have been increasing each year since 2011, statistics obtained from South Yorkshire Police have revealed.
Most of the weapons have been air rifles, with several air pistols also taken in a series of burglaries and thefts. Those can be legally bought and held without certificates in most cases.
But last year a shotgun, which require a certificate to be legally held and must be kept secure, was taken from a motor vehicle and an immitation handgun was also stolen in a burglary. Immitation firearms can no longer be sold legally.
In 2012 a rifle was stolen in a burglary and the previous year a shotgun went from a house which was broken into. Both were legally held with a firearm and shotgun certificate, records show.
Last year 16 air rifles were stolen, with 13 rifles and two air pistols taken by criminals in 2013. In 2012 eight air rifles, two pistols and one unspecified air weapon were stolen, with seven air rifles and one pistol taken in 2011.
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
