New Merseyside policy

[FredB]

Sad times. In the late 1970s my then club was in a thursday night league, shooting Police Pistol 1. Several police forces were involved, including Mersyside, lancashire, and Blackpool. The venus changed weekly and so I have shot on the Mersyside Police range on a number of occasions. They were great guys---they were also unbeatable.
In 1980, I started an annual shoot on "M" range at Altcar. We typically had 80 competitors from all over Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire. Mersyside Police always won.
They suppoted civilian shooter and were very helpful .
What we seem to be seeing now is plitical prejudice applied through an anti-gun chief constable. I can only hope that things will improve in the future.
Fred

[MistAgain]

Update .

It seems that after an exchange of emails and phone calls , Merseyside has backed down . At least for this person .

[Geek]

Many valid points raised above, in my opinion more information needed.

[Blackstuff]

Update .

It seems that after an exchange of emails and phone calls , Merseyside has backed down . At least for this person .

So this was in fact based on one person, of the club that was shut down? The initial post read as if it was anyone who wasn't a full member of a club in the Merseyside area, i.e. everyone who has their firearms to shoot over land was also included.

I know this is a touchy subject for those involved, understandably, but can there be just less drama involved when posting here??

After getting my FAC back recently due a variation, I noticed the wording had changed to state that the FAC was only valid while I remained a member of xxx club (my main reporting club). I queried this with FLO (Hertfordshire) and they confirmed that it was the new wording/regulation. I did state that I actually did the vast majority of my shooting with other clubs (of which I'm also a full member) but apparently this didn't make a difference. However, although I have no intention to leave my current main club, if it folded, would full membership of other clubs not suffice due to the wording on my FAC ?

Strange, that has been a standard condition of my FAC since day one (14 years now). It really is a postcode lottery!

[MistAgain]

Update .

It seems that after an exchange of emails and phone calls , Merseyside has backed down . At least for this person .

So this was in fact based on one person, of the club that was shut down? The initial post read as if it was anyone who wasn't a full member of a club in the Merseyside area, i.e. everyone who has their firearms to shoot over land was also included.

I know this is a touchy subject for those involved, understandably, but can there be just less drama involved when posting here??

Just to make it clear ............in the initial phone call my mate was told "dont worry , its not just you , we have others to visit".

[Blackstuff]

Yes but that's still not the same as the implication of the original post. A more accurate/less provocative description would have been "A shooting friend of mine, who was a member of XXXX club that was shutdown last year and who hasn't yet got a full membership elsewhere has been advised that the FLD are looking to remove his firearms. He was also told he wasn't the only person potentially affected."

It sounds to me like the relationship between the FLD and former members of that club has completely broken down and things may have become 'personal'

As the people in the FLD will no longer be processing new applications/variations etc I hope it doesn't mean they'll start pursuing 'old scores' there and elsewhere

[Chapuis]

If this is indeed correct those that may be affected should be contacting their shooting organisations immediately.

As has been pointed out previously individual membership of the NRA would surely cover them. I don't know if this is still correct but both BASC and the BDS were affiliated to the NRA and were regarded as rifle clubs in their own right though the classes of firearms that they use may possibly not encompasses all types.

[Mattnall]

If this is indeed correct those that may be affected should be contacting their shooting organisations immediately.

As has been pointed out previously individual membership of the NRA would surely cover them. I don't know if this is still correct but both BASC and the BDS were affiliated to the NRA and were regarded as rifle clubs in their own right though the classes of firearms that they use may possibly not encompasses all types.

If that's the case BASC cover all types of legal shooting and can book range days at Bisley, the members of any NRA affiliated club (or the NRA) can shoot at Bisley where every type of firearm can be shot, so no issue then with having something different on your FAC.

[Chapuis]

Yes BASC can book ranges at Bisley but I don't know the exact procedures or conditions. While they might be classed as an approved rifle club that approval may possibly not cover all bases. That's why I'm suggesting that if you are affected and belong to one of those organisations it would be better to speak to them.

[MistAgain]

Approx 1030 AM my mate A receives a phone call from a person called X ,using a cell phone and claiming to be a Merseyside FEO .
He said , “I will be coming to collect your firearms tomorrow (Tuesday) , no need to worry , I will be in civilian clothes in an unmarked police car”. Its not just you I have others to visit.

Acting on advice A emails the Firearms Manager at 1102 AM , “I just want to do check that a member of your firearms team “X” is collecting my firearms tomorrow. I am really not happy about this.

A explains to the firearms manager that the probationary period at club B had been extended as work had prevented fulfilling the required number of visits and that club C had also been joined as a probationary member as their range times gave more chance to meet the visit requirements.

There then followed another phone call between A and X with X saying he would take the firearms to be stored with an RFD .

At 1206 the firearms manager emailed A saying they understood that the firearms would be taken to be stored with an RFD , and that A should let firearms office know as soon as they had full membership so the FAC could be updated.

At 1253 A emailed the firearms manager saying they were very unhappy about having someone come into their house as they were in self isolation . They would however if merseyside considered it an emergency, comply.

At 1328 merseyside emailed A to say , “we will be back in touch when the situation stabilises”

At 1424 merseyside emailed A to say , the visit had been cancelled .

What are my feelings on all this ? . Maybe I should have started the thread “New Merseyside Policy ? .

Maybe it was a one off .

Maybe as X had said , there are others to be visited , if thats the case it is merseyside policy .

Regardless of it being policy or not , its been badly handled .
Merseyside are not doing grants or renewals because they involve face to face visits . Yet they were prepared to do a face to face visit for this and maybe others .