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Home Secretary set to scrutinise licensing

Shotgun and firearms licensing laws are in the spotlight after a Luton teenager murdered his family with an illegally purchased shotgun.

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The gun used in the murders was obtained with a fake licence

A shooting that took place in Luton last September with an illegally obtained shotgun has prompted fresh scrutiny of current shotgun and firearm licensing laws, with the Home Secretary highlighting “deep and longstanding” weaknesses in private firearms sales.

Last autumn, Nicholas Prosper, 19, murdered his mother, sister and brother in their home in Luton with a shotgun bought the day before using a fake licence. Prosper was recently jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 49 years for the murders. In August 2024, Prosper tried and failed in his first attempt to buy a gun. However, later that month he contacted another seller on a legal gun sales site, paying £650 to the man for a shotgun and 100 cartridges.

He had researched the logos, signatures and even the type of paper licences were printed on to dupe the seller, who committed no offence. Private gun sellers need to inform police of any sale, and the person who sold the shotgun to Prosper did this on 12 September. Yet because this was done out-of-hours on the day before the killings, there was no opportunity for anyone to realise the gun had been sold to someone who was not a legitimate licence holder.

The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, commented: “This terrible case has exposed deep and longstanding weaknesses in private firearms sales, and we are urgently looking at how we can tighten these controls.”

In response to the sentencing of Nicholas Prosper and the Home Secretary’s comments, BASC released the following statement: “First and foremost, every life lost is a tragedy. The goal should always be to prevent harm wherever possible. BASC works for a licensing system that protects public safety and has consistently advocated for a more efficient and effective licensing process.

“It is important that the full facts are known and understood, and that no solution is decided upon as a knee-jerk reaction to horrific killings. BASC would urge ministers to examine the failings of the existing system that has 43 different licensing authorities, all with differing interpretations of the law and guidance.

“They should consider establishing a national body for firearms licensing and a robust system for ensuring that any buyer is legitimate and properly authorised to purchase the firearm in question.”