Anyone Seen this?

[Gaz]

Dear Lucy

I read with some confusion this unbylined story on the Argus website regarding the "firearms" found by police at a house in Larkfield Way. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11328416.display/

The seventh par, by your anonymous reporter, reads as so: "The revolver used to shoot Lee Rigby in London last year was a 1912 Belgian infantry officer’s pistol from the First World War."

Lee Rigby was not shot. As the copy below this BBC graphic (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25298580) makes clear, the revolver - an obsolete antique, in law - was not loaded. Moreover, as the trial coverage made abundantly clear at the time, Rigby's murderers carried out their attack with a car, knives and meat cleavers, not the revolver.

This report appears to be based solely on a press release from its sole "interviewee", Professor Peter Squires of Brighton University. I suggest your reporter applies some basic common sense before recycling such press releases, especially those from academics with books to sell and thus a vested interest in "sexing up" the issue of gun crime and making false assertions - as it appears was the intent of Professor Squires' original press release here: http://www.brighton.ac.uk/about-us/news ... -guns.aspx
A quick look at Sussex Police's website reveals this press release (http://www.sussex.police.uk/whats-happe ... n-brighton) which makes it clear that the majority of the guns were deactivated and therefore could not have posed the threat that Professor Squires asserts in his canned quotes. Even a police spokesman could have provided some balance.

I look forward to seeing a prominent correction and apology for publishing a clear untruth as fact, and I trust your reporters (and web subs, if you have any) will be suitably rebriefed.

Regards
Gaz

Sent to the Argus' news editor, who can be reached at lucy.pearce@theargus.co.uk

Cheers for posting this, Ginger. I was quite tempted to go direct to the Press Complaints Commission as this is the sort of thing they love getting their teeth into. Section 1 (accuracy) of the PCC Code of Practice refers, from memory.

[Gaz]

And I've just had an out-of-office reply, suggesting I forward my email to news@theargus.co.uk. Which I'll do.

[Swamp Donkey]

Funnily (or not) enough, he isn't picking up his phone today. I find it quite distressing that he's saying the pistol used to shoot a friend was a ww1 relic, when Lee wasn't even shot !!! The bloke needs to take a big reality check, and start thinking of the results of his slanderous reports

[Fedaykin]

We are back to the same issue we had recently with NABIS when it comes to the general mainstream press reporting on shooting matters. The papers and TV stations are very happy to just report whatever is spouted out by somebody calling themselves as an "Expert" without looking to see what agenda or biases they have.

Ironically when somebody from the shooting organisations tries to make a point the press is very quick to call them out as nefarious lobbyists for the "Gun lobby" or "Gun nuts" with the associated agendas and biases directly implied.

I have to say this is an issue which in many ways did deserve an official complaint but I agree with the softer approach Gaz has taken.

An official letter from BASC or the NRA press office (preferably both) would be appropriate.

[Meaty]

Oh look, he has a book out.

"Professor Squires has written about secret caches in his latest book just published, Gun Crime in Global Contexts, in which he estimates there are in the order of 850 million firearms in the world today – one for every seven people on the planet – and the majority, 650 million, are in the hands of civilians."

Just had a look at the book on Amazon - who in their right mind would spend £90 for emergency toilet paper!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crime-Global-Co ... er+squires

This bit caught my eye in the 'About the Author' section.
"Professor Squires recently joined the ACPO Police National Independent Advisory Group on Criminal Use of Firearms"
So he is still peddling his lies to big his ego up!

I think its about time to write a few book reviews on Amazon, Goodreads etc and out the lies and misinformation that this little tawt is preaching.

Interestingly the reviewer (Robert J. Spitzer) is himself a NY based gun control/ NRA bashing author who has some less than favourable reviews on Amazon.

[Fedaykin]

£90!

Good lord he is confident isn't he!

[dave_303]

£90!

Good lord he is confident isn't he!

To be fair to Squires (my god I thought those words would pass my
Mouth) £90 for a first run of an academic text is not uncommon. It is a price decided by the published not the author.

As ah example 2 of my lecturers wrote a book together on the Edwardian Army, it's a bloody good book. It's first print was £90, second print is £35.

The dude is still a knob though

[Fedaykin]

As a Brighton University Alumni (yeah really) that this "Academic" sullies what is actually a rather good ex polytechnic rather frustrates me.

[Chuck]

Professor Squires recently joined the ACPO Police National Independent Advisory Group on Criminal Use of Firearms"

Who said this, was it Walter himself to sell his books or was it Amazon making the claim to give the author some credibility and so hype the value of the book??.

Seems like reckless maybe fraudulent misrepresentation to sell the book. Making a statement without care to its accuracy in an attempt to make a sale or obtain money from people...Maybe one for Trading Standards about Amazon......

[Ginger]

And I've just had an out-of-office reply, suggesting I forward my email to news@theargus.co.uk. Which I'll do.

Hi Gaz,

did you ever get a reply from the Argus? If you didn't are you going to the PCA?

Looks like someone picked up on his story

https://twitter.com/PSqCriminology/stat ... 2237119488