SCOTS ARE being urged to voluntarily hand over their air guns to be destroyed in aftermath of the death of a Glasgow toddler, writes Steve Bargeton, political editor.

Yesterday ministers and police chiefs reached an agreement on a scheme to hand in air rifles and pistols.

It is estimated that there are between four and seven million air guns in the UK—half a million or more in Scotland.

A week ago today two-year-old Andrew Morton died after being hit in the head by an air gun pellet in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow. A 27-year-old man has since been charged with his murder.

In response to calls for airguns to be outlawed, ministers have adopted a twin track approach—looking at the possibility of tightening controls on air weapons while trying to take as many weapons out of circulation as possible.

Yesterday during First Ministers Questions, Jack McConnell called on parents to find out if their children had air weapons and if so to hand them over to the police.

“We intend to take action on this issue,” he told MSPs.

“We will do so in conjunction with the Home Office and it will be done so with a measured approach.

“The Home Office is already taking action on replica weapons and firearms but I believe they will have to go further.

“I do not want a situation where in the week following this family’s tragedy we rush into legislation but I believe we need action on airguns.”

Firearms legislation is reserved to Westminster and Prime Minister Tony Blair made it clear this week that he was not prepared to rush in new legislation.

“As the First Minister in Scotland said now is not the moment to rush into new legislation,” he told the Commons.

“We have to consider carefully the lessons that we can learn from it and we will do that. Although obviously we have to make sure that we legislate, if we do legislate, in a sensible way.

“I know you will want us to study those lessons. We will do that and then we will publish our conclusions.”

However, in the meantime Scottish ministers are determined to do what they can to reduce the risk posed by airguns.

The Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (ACPOS) has agreed in outline to a scheme whereby the public can hand in air guns to the police who will then have them destroyed.

This is not an amnesty, as ownership of airguns is not illegal and there will be no compensation.

The First Minister’s official spokesman said, “The First Minister feels there is a mood to do this.

“The scheme has not started yet. There will be more details coming out very soon.”