As police hunt thieves who attacked a man with a pistol in a York street, Gavin Aitchison looks at the growing menace from both real and fake guns.

IMITATION firearms and airguns spark more than three complaints a day to North Yorkshire Police, and the problem is getting worse, shocking new figures revealed today.

The statistics show almost 500 complaints were made to the police in the first five months of this year, with 134 in May alone.

The number of complaints made has risen for five months in succession, with May's figure more than double that for January.

Every week, at least one crime involving one of these weapons takes place somewhere in North Yorkshire.

In York, there were 94 recorded incidents involving BB guns or airguns in the first five months of 2005, according to the figures, obtained by the Evening Press under the Freedom of Information Act.

Police and local MPs today called for a ban on the replica guns, and reiterated warnings to parents not to buy them.

Chief Inspector Andy Bell said the guns looked just like real weapons, and said a tragedy could happen if current trends continued.

"My fear is that one day someone is going to point one of these things at a police officer and they are going to end up dead, because our guns are not replicas and because a police officer has to make a split-second decision."

He added: "Some of these incidents result in police officers being armed. But in most cases, unfortunately, it's irresponsible kids messing about with these things, or pointing them out of cars and threatening people going past.

"When I was a kid we played cowboys and Indians, but there's a real gun culture nowadays. I have a real fear that someone will be shot."

Chief Inspector Bell said he wanted a total ban on imitation guns. He said: "I would like to see it that all imitation firearms, BB guns and air weapons just cannot be bought. If you cannot prove you need that firearm, you should not have it."

Chief Inspector Bell, who was reiterating calls earlier this year by York's top police officer, Chief Superintendent Tim Madgwick, added: "Why do people want an imitation firearm? There is no need for anyone to be in possession of a replica gun. They do not achieve anything. What use are they?"

Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh, who has campaigned in Parliament for anti-gun legislation, called the new figures shocking.

She said: "A message has to go out to parents not to buy these products. It's simply irresponsible to buy as a toy anything which looks like a gun. It puts the police in an extremely difficult situation, and I fear they may be called out to a situation where a young person is shot dead for being in possession of a replica."

:: Pistol attack thug hunted

POLICE hunting a thug who hit a man in the face with the handle of a pistol in a York street were today investigating possible links with a group of youths seen with an air pistol in the same area.

Officers say a group seen in Beckfield Lane late on Friday night may be connected to the earlier incident, in which a man was knocked to the ground and left with serious facial injuries.

Inquiries are still going on, after the victim was attacked and robbed outside shops in the Acomb street, at about 6pm.

He had stopped his bicycle to come to the aid of a young boy, aged about 12, who appeared to be in some distress and was "surrounded" by two youths.

But as soon as got off the bike, he was punched in the face, and was then hit with what police said appeared to be the handle of a small black pistol.

He fell to the ground, and needed treatment at York Hospital for what police described as "serious facial injuries".

Today police urged witnesses who may have seen another group, later on Friday evening, to contact them. A spokesman said: "Later on in the evening at about midnight there was another group of youths seen further down Beckfield Lane with an air pistol. That might be connected (to the earlier incident)."

Police said the "main offender" was white, 6ft 2in tall, aged between 16 and 18, of medium build with short, mousy hair. He was said to have been wearing a blue Adidas T-shirt and dark tracksuit bottoms or jeans.

The second youth was of a similar age, between 5ft 6in and 5ft 9in tall, and was wearing a baseball cap.

Detectives are appealing for any witnesses to come forward and asked that the 12-year-old tell his parents what happened as a matter of urgency.

Anyone with information should phone Detective Constable Jenny Cartwright at York CID on 0845 6060 247.

:: York MP says new Bill may help to stamp out menace

Ms McIntosh said the replicas were being used to terrorise other youths, and added: "These things look deadly and can have fatal consequences. They should not be sold and should not be bought."

City of York MP, Hugh Bayley, said the Government's new Violent Crime Reduction Bill would make a difference. He said the Bill would ensure replica guns could not be adapted to fire live ammunition; make it illegal to sell an imitation firearm which could easily be mistaken for a real one; introduce tougher sentences for carrying a replica gun and clamp down on those recklessly firing replica guns from private properties.

Mr Bayley said some of his constituents had already complained to him about replica guns, and he was aware of the problem. Commenting on the new statistics, Mr Bayley said: "The figures show why the Government needs to change the law. They show that the police face a serious and growing problem and that the Government needs to back them by giving them legal powers to deal with the problem."

:: Gun fired through window

THE York victim of a replica gun attack today backed calls for a ban.

In November last year Gillian Carrington, 34, was watching TV at home when thugs fired an airgun through her living room window.

Mrs Carrington said: "It's very worrying that kids now walk about with these things.

"A ban would definitely be something I now approve of."

Mrs Carrington, who lives in Ashbourne Way, Woodthorpe, said she feared a major incident could occur if nothing was done.

"It will lead to something really serious, and it's usually only then that something is done about it. But they should be doing something now to prevent that from happening."

But Stuart Sykes, of Blue Moon Trading, in Goodramgate, which sells replica guns, said it was a small number of gun owners causing trouble.

"The tiny, tiny, guilty minority are causing the problems for the innocent majority, and we can never legislate against a few fools.

"There will always be a few that cause the hassle for the majority, whether it's cars, alcohol or motorbikes."

Updated: 10:27 Monday, July 18, 2005