Call for gun ban at war weekend (From Gazette & Herald)

Call for gun ban at war weekend

2:34pm Wednesday 20th February 2008 in News By David Jeffels

REVELLERS at Pickering's celebrated war weekend could be banned from carrying replica weapons amid fears they are creating a security risk.

Councillors and some residents are anxious that a real gunman would be perfectly disguised among the crowds dressed in wartime uniform, complete with their Second World War firearms, at the event in October.

The fears were initially raised by resident Margaret Devonshire, who wrote to both the town council and Ryedale's police commander, Inspector Helen Taylor, asking for the weapons to be banned.

She said: "Why does the council allow people to roam the streets of Pickering during the war weekend, holding guns?

"In this day and age when you can't tell the difference between a real and a replica gun, it should not be allowed and the council should ban them."

Miss Devonshire said she did make a report to the police at last year's weekend event about guns being carried in the street.

"With all the shootings and killings in this country, we should be thinking of our own youngsters and trying to protect them. I am not a fanatic, but someone who totally dislikes guns and the danger they bring, and I object to them on the streets of Pickering for any reason.

"I want Pickering to be a safe town to live in and not one where people can carry guns.

"Can you imagine how easy it would be for a 'nutter' to wander around our streets with a gun and end up shooting someone because he was able to carry a real gun, everyone thinking it was a replica."

Former mayor Coun Margaret Lowe shared the concerns. She said: "We take such a lot on trust. We have thousands of visitors come into Pickering for the weekend. Such an incident could happen."

The mayor, Coun Julie Hepworth, echoed the concerns. "We should probably stop and think about this.

We are seeing young people dying on our streets."

She said there were restrictions on people wearing German military uniforms, and she felt there could be a similar clampdown on the displaying of weapons.

Coun Arthur Aslett also believed there should be restrictions on the de-activated weapons that are carried in the street during the weekend, which has become nationally renowned and is now worth vast sums to Pickering's economy.

He thought the guns should only be used when the military personnel were on parade. "It is impossible to see when a weapon is de-activated, " added Coun Aslett, a retired senior police officer.

But other councillors questioned whether the absence of weapons would affect the appeal of the weekend festival.

Coun William Oxley said cutlasses were used during a seafaring festival in Whitby, and the Sealed Knot battle re-enactment group used muskets and pikes.

"There has to be some element of trust, " he said, adding that he believed the police did check out the use of the weapons at the Pickering weekend.

Sgt Gary Ridler, of Ryedale police, said: "The issue of the de-activated weapons has been broached on numerous occasions and we are normally given due notice that the relevant people will be carrying them.

There are no offences being committed."

Philip Benham, general manager of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway which runs the wartime weekend, said yesterday (Tuesday) that Miss Devonshire had also written to the company. "We do take her concerns seriously. We shall be looking to the police for advice and if necessary take action."

While the event had grown year on year, said Mr Benham, and no-one would want to put it in jeopardy because of its benefit to Pickering, safety was a top priority. "We would want to work with the professionals to minimise any risk, " he said.