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Man held after warning shot fired over trespassers

Mr Bayfield's house has been plagued by break-ins.

By Barnaby Dracup

Friday, 10 September 2010

Pigeon shooter has licence revoked after firing warning shot over travellers on his property.

Christopher Bayfield, a pigeon shooter from Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, was arrested last week on suspicion of a firearms offence after allegedly firing a single shot in the air to warn two travellers to get off his land.

Neighbours said that Mr Bayfield had been plagued with break-ins, thefts and trespassers after more than 1,000 travellers moved on to a field next to his home (pictured above).

His licence has been revoked and a firearm taken.

Talk to other readers about this incident in our forums!

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Comments

Alex Mcfarland

Thu, 14th Oct 2010 21:59:06

what is wrong with the law these days that some one who is trying to protect their property is the one who gets procicuted not the people causing the problems

bill

Fri, 1st Oct 2010 09:26:10

spread the muck on the land to right next to the vermin that makes them move!!!!

Todd

Tue, 14th Sep 2010 01:28:05

We'd gladly welcome this fine gentleman in North Carolina, USA...

Ching Ho

Sun, 12th Sep 2010 01:33:11

In this country, you have no right whatsoever to protect your life or property. Even if it means immediate danger to your life. NO , we are supposed to dial 999 and wait for help instead. By the time the officers arrive, i be dead by then. There should be a law , stating that every person has a right to fob off trespassers, without having their firearm license at risk. Right to self defence to a extend. A warning shot in the air is better than shooting the person itself, who has no business at his land.

Rich

Sat, 11th Sep 2010 18:20:33

As a newcomer to shooting, I'm of the opinion that my guns are not for "home defense" as the Americans would have it. I also live in a remote area, and the reality is that the homeowner is the only one the police will find (sure the two trespassers haven't been identified!) so it doesn't take a genius to work out that you will be the only one prosecuted if you fire a "warning shot" (a phrase that implies a secondary shot is coming, incidentally). Perhaps he should have had some decoys out for when the police arrived in order to claim he was taking a high flying pigeon as these people were trespassing? Or maybe waved a cricket bat at them instead?

robert rennie

Fri, 10th Sep 2010 21:56:40

This is not right it is high time the law was changed we have had a huge problem in Aberdeen with these so called travellers parking up where they please and the mess they leave behind has cost us around Â£40,000 a year to clean up , the law abiding people who pay taxes are being made a fool of by these people and they hide behind ethnic this and ethnic that they are not entitled to rights as they continually break the law and also local by-laws, this man should not be treated in this way as he has a right to protect his property and a shot up into the air is not threatening anyone the police have done more harm doing this as they are showing these people that they can do what they like and we can do nothing about it

Guilherme Carvalho

Fri, 10th Sep 2010 12:53:43

They will try again, and next time the land owner will not be able to "discourage" the intruders. It is HIS land and probably a fenced property which means trespassing. I would have done the same, a shot to the AIR should be considered a sign of first warning. It is legal in the US to do so. Not that I approve the US ways on guns, but in such situations cannot understand why he should be arrested and his license and gun taken way. Where was the police when his property and family where under potential threat, and according to the article is happens frequently.