Thousands of people who legally bought Birmingham-made Brocock airguns face prison because the Home Office has failed to adequately publicise changes to the law, say gun enthusiasts. Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act it is already illegal to buy or sell any Brocock-style airgun, which operate using a self-contained gas cartridge system. But the British Association for Shooting and Conservation claim at least 75,000 have been sold legally since 1989 and unless owners obtain a certificate by April 30 they will face a minimum sentence of five years. The BASC said nearly 7,000 Brocock-style guns are owned by people across the four police areas in the Midlands, with more than half being held by people in the West Mercia force area. Mike Eveleigh, senior firearms officer with BASC, Britain's biggest shooting organisation, said: "The Home Office has failed to make people aware of this. BASC represents 120,000 members and we received one poster, one sticker and one leaflet for publicity purposes. "At least 75,000 of these guns have been sold but one major metropolitan force has received only ten licence applications. "It takes eight to ten weeks to process an application, and there are only a few weeks to the deadline. At the very least the deadline must be extended by several months while the Home Office brings in a publicity blitz. If this is not done, the police and courts could become swamped. "The Home Office must take immediate steps to sort this out or thousands of people could be imprisoned because of the Home Office's failure." Self-contained gas cartridge guns as outlined in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act use a cartridge containing a charge of compressed gas to fire an airgun pellet. They have mainly been distributed under the trade name "Brocock" - a Birmingham-based company specialising in the manufacturer and importing of guns. The ban does not include ordinary airguns using compressed air or gas in a bottle or cylinder. The BASC claim a further consequence of the law change could be a sudden increase in Brocock-style guns falling into criminal hands, in direct opposition to the purpose of the Act. The Association of Chief Police Officers has already called for a national ban on the public sale of Brocock air cartridge pistols after criminals have been found to adapt the weapons by fitting special steel sleeves inside the chamber enabling them to fire live .22 calibre bullets. Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said the ban has been widely publicised and had been announced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act. She said after discussions with the police and the Gun Trade Association, the Home Office produced a range of publicity material explaining what owners must do if they want to keep their guns. "We have allowed over three months for owners to apply for a certificate or to surrender their guns and do not think it necessary to extend that period," she said. "Although the length of time to process applications will vary between forces, this will not affect applicants. "Anyone who applies before April 30 will not be liable for prosecution." | 
