THERE are a record number of legal firearms in Britain, figures show.

Last year 596,661 were held in England and Wales — 160,000 more than ten years ago, the Home Office said.

But experts fear some are taking up shooting as a hobby so they can legally buy guns for nefarious reasons.

Professor Peter Squires, of Brighton University, said: “Shooting is an elite sport with the trappings of social climbing as bankers, sports and rock stars blast small birds.

“But the sport of shooting has grown as a flag of convenience for people who just want a gun for other reasons."

The sport of shooting has grown as a flag of convenience for people who just want a gun for other reasons

Home Office figures show on average each legal gun owner has four firearms, but in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester this figure jumps to five.

Patsy McKie set up the campaign group Mothers Against Violence after her son Dorrie was gunned to death in Moss Side, Manchester, 20 years ago.

She said: “I think guns are unnecessary and should be completely banned.

“We do not actually need them.

“We have to start rethinking why we have guns and changing the law," she added.

“People can be killed and maimed with these guns.”

The most popular gun is a rifle, followed by 1.4 million separately licenced shotguns, with just two per cent of applicants being refused in 2018/19.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation said the figures showed how the popularity of the sport of shooting continues to grow.

Bill Harriman, of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “The UK has some of the strictest firearms laws. The number of licenced firearms used in crime is minuscule.”

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