Information on charges brought by the police are only held by the police themselves and not reported to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
However, data on cases brought to court are collected, and information on the number of persons under 21 years of age proceeded against for firearms offences in England and Wales for the years 2001-05 is provided in the table.
Data for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
Number proceeded against 2001 1,193 2002 1,014 2003 959 2004 1,273 2005 1,444 1 These data are provided on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 See the following offence table for offences used.
Offence Indictable firearms offences 514-516 Possession of firearms with intent to endanger life or injure property 517-519 Using firearms with intent to resist arrest 813-815 Possessing firearms at time of committing, or being arrested for, an offence 816-818 Possessing firearms with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest 823-825 Possessing firearms with intent to cause fear of violence 8103 Possessing firearms or ammunition without certificate (Section 1)(2) 8115 Shortening a shot gun 8104 Possessing shot gun without certificate 8109-8110 Selling firearms to person without a certificate 8117 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition 8126-8127 Carrying loaded firearm in public place 8135-8137 Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime 8170 Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc.(2) other81 Other indictable offence Summary firearms offences 11504 Non-compliance with condition of firearms certificate (Section 1)(3) 11528 Carrying air weapon or imitation weapon in public place(4) 11532-11534 Trespassing with firearm on land 11541-11543 Person under 17 acquiring firearm subject to control under Section 1 11559-11560 Making false statement in order to procure grant or renewal of firearm or shot gun certificate 11506 Non-compliance with condition of shot gun certificate 11546 Person under 14 having an air weapon or ammunition 11547 Person under 17 having an air weapon in a public place other 115 + 14103 Other summary firearms offence