Surge in armed police call-outs

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The surge in armed police call-outs was disclosed to MPs by Home Office minister Tony McNulty.

The Liberal Democrats said the development reflected growing fears about gun crime and officers' anticipation of confrontations with armed criminals.

In a Parliamentary written answer, Mr McNulty said the number of incidents for which police firearms were authorised rose from 12,379 in 1996/7 to 18,891 in 2005/6 - a 53% increase.

In London, the number almost doubled during the same period, from 2,439 to 4,711, while in the West Midlands it nearly quadrupled, from 270 to 1,044.

"There is real anxiety in many communities about rising gun crime," Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Jeremy Browne said.

"Firearms offences used to be rare in Britain and we associated gun crime with America. Now it is a daily concern for millions of people in our country.

"The police are having to respond to the growing probability that they will be confronted by armed criminals and that is starting to change the nature of policing in Britain.

"The underlying problem is the huge growth in the availability of guns in Britain. We need proper enforcement of anti-gun laws and enhanced efforts to intercept smuggled firearms.

"Most importantly, everyone has an obligation to challenge the idea that guns are glamorous accessories, because they are not, as we have seen on many tragic occasions."