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		</div><p><a href="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/mps-back-gun-ban-for-criminals.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full" title="Criminals who receive suspended jail terms should be stripped of any gun licences, MPs have said" src="http://londonglossy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/min-mps-back-gun-ban-for-criminals.jpg" alt="Criminals who receive suspended jail terms should be stripped of any gun licences, MPs have said"/></a></p>
<p>Criminals who receive suspended jail terms should be stripped of any gun licences they hold, MPs reviewing firearms laws have said.</p>
<p>Current legislation in England and Wales is a &#8220;complex and confused&#8221; mess, and tighter restrictions on gun licences are needed, the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee said.</p>
<p>The review comes after taxi driver Derrick Bird killed 12 people in a shooting spree in west Cumbria in June. He was sentenced 20 years ago to six months in prison, suspended for a year, for stealing decorating materials from his then employer.</p>
<p>Bird also had a drink-driving conviction and had been arrested over claims he &#8220;demanded payment with menaces&#8221; after a customer made off from his cab without paying.</p>
<p>Bird, 52, was allowed to keep his shotgun certificate, which he got just before his 17th birthday, because neither of his convictions warranted an immediate custodial sentence to trigger an automatic ban.</p>
<p>The MPs said: &#8220;We do not believe it appropriate for those convicted of offences which are serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence to retain their firearms.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are also of the view that those who receive shorter custodial sentences should not be allowed to possess firearms and recommend accordingly.&#8221;</p>
<p>Last month, an independent review ordered by Cumbria Constabulary proposed that anyone handed a jail term of three months or more which is wholly suspended should be banned from owning licensed weapons for five years.</p>
<p>Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, said: &#8220;The terrible murders perpetrated by Derrick Bird in June highlighted gaps in the current licensing regime, notably around the ease with which convicted criminals can gain access to firearms.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have heard evidence of further cases in which individuals applying to obtain a licence for firearms have lied about their mental health problems and have subsequently gone on to misuse their weapons. Current gun law is a mess. It needs to be simplified, (and made) clear and consistent to be properly understood by both those using firearms for legitimate purposes and those in charge of enforcing the law.&#8221;</p>
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