Durham Police demand mandatory medical checks

Katharina Doyle

August 22, 2013

Durham Constabulary has announced that firearms and shotgun certificate applicants must provide and pay for a medical report from their GPs. The move has angered shooters, and goes way beyond the Home Office guidance or the existing requirements set out by law. The law states that relevant medical conditions must be declared on the application form for a firearm or shotgun certificate, and that this can be checked by police with the applicant’s GP.

However, Durham Constabulary is now demanding that applicants submit a separate medical consent form and that they meet any fee charged by their GP.

BASC’s director of firearms and Shooting Times contributor Bill Harriman said: “BASC has asked the Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary to state the legal basis of this scheme and awaits his reply with interest. Early legal advice strongly suggests that it is unlawful. There has been no meaningful consultation with lawful gun owners and this is a unilateral initiative that has been imposed by Durham to cover up earlier shortcomings in the Michael Atherton case. BASC’s advice to certificate holders is that they should not comply with it, and should complain if there is any attempt towards coercion.”

The rest of this article appears in the 21st August issue of Shooting Times.