NEW gun laws prompted by the New Year's Day killings in Birmingham are worrying Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Home Secretary David Blunkett has called for a firearms summit with a view to bringing in legislation with restrictions on shotguns and air rifles.

Some 700 people are hurt in instances involving air guns every year. A campaign endorsed by 80 local authorities, including Somerset, asks for fundamental changes to the law, including:

l Increasing the minimum age for ownership to 18 - it is currently 14, if purchased by someone 17 or over - and making a licence compulsory.

Letters calling for this were sent by Somerset Liberal Democrats last year to Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Steve Pilkington and the region's MPs, including Mr Liddell-Grainger.

l In order to obtain a licence, individuals should first visit their local police station to establish that they are a fit and proper person to be entrusted with a potentially lethal weapon.

l There should be an amnesty for the safe disposal of illegally held air guns and facilities for the safe disposal of air guns, in any event.

The Liberal Democrat group at County Hall said Somerset's own experience of five shootings last year shows that gun use is not always drugs-related or as a result of gangland culture.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said that, in view of tragedies such as the mass shootings in Hungerford and Dunblane, restrictions on firearms were to be welcomed: "But within reason," he added.

"Any misuse of a gun is appalling, but 99 per cent of such cases involve people with illegally held guns who have no regard for the law, anyway.

"Those with legitimately held guns, farmers for example, shouldn't be penalised because of what's going on in a city like Birmingham.

"There is a lot of sense in firearm control, but I am concerned that it's a knee-jerk reaction to Birmingham, that not enough thought will be given and that it's going over the top."

The issue was brought to the full county council in November on a proposal by Cllr Claire Gordon, portfolio holder for care and safety, seconded by Cllr Alan Gloak.

Cllr Gloak said: "It's unfortunate that it has taken such a tragedy over the Christmas holidays to wake the Government up to the full severity of this problem.

"The Liberal Democrats at Somerset County Council have been accused of over-reacting to this issue in the past – perhaps people will now see the sense of our proposals and urge the government to do the same."