I recently wrote to the Home Office asking them to consider introducing a licensing scheme for hand-held catapults, which are regrettably being used to kill and maim wildlife in Priory Gardens. While it would not solve the problem entirely, it could help to restrict the supply of these weapons.
The new Policing Minister has replied and said that they do not consider catapults a weapon if used against wildlife and has suggested this is a matter for the Environment Department. This is not good enough and I will keep on at the Home Office and DEFRA.
Shooting animals with catapults and sharing the pictures on social media is a disgusting crime and we need to stamp it out.