Scottish gun crime at 10-year low

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Gun crime in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, while the number of deaths and injuries from such weapons reached a 30-year low.

Offences involving guns dropped 17% to 949 in 2008-09, compared with 1,144 the previous year, official figures showed.

But police solved fewer gun-related crimes, as the offence clear-up rate fell from 64% to 59%.

Scots ministers welcomed the figures, while using them to again call for gun control to be devolved to Holyrood.

The figures showed the number of offences in which a gun was fired and caused death or injury fell from 212 in 2007-08 to 138 last year.

'Serious' offences

Gun crime accounted for a small proportion of offences recorded by the police last year, amounting to two killings, 23 attempted murders and 91 robberies.

Air weapons accounted for almost half of all gun-related offences. The figure of 444 in 2008-09 was down from 576 (50% of offences) last year.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "It is concerning that anyone might think it appropriate to carry or brandish a gun, whether real or replica, and I know that our police forces and courts take such offences very seriously."

He added: "There is still more than one air weapon offence recorded each day. As a government we have pressed the UK government time and time again to let us take action on air weapons."

Scottish Labour welcomed the decrease in offences, but warned there was no room for complacency.