Those bizarre Liberal Democrats

From the Countryside Alliance:

The Liberal Democrats have spoilt an otherwise positive manifesto with a bizarre pledge to ban young people under the age of 14 from 'participating in shoots'. There is not, of course, any evidence that such a move would achieve anything other than discriminating against thousands of law abiding youngsters including game shooters, rough shooters, clay shooters, target shooters and service cadets. We have made it clear that the Liberal Democrats risk losing significant rural support by proposing such pointless and discriminatory legislation.

The BASC joins in:

While welcoming the Lib Dems assurance that they have no plans to introduce further regulation on shooting, BASC is dismayed at their intention to ban anyone under 14 from shooting, or even participating in a shoot.

This flies in the face of Home Office opinion that there are positive benefits for young people to be taught to shoot in a disciplined and responsible way. It would also damage Britain’s international sporting potential; shooting has brought a string of European, Commonwealth and Olympic medals.

Shooting in the UK has an exemplary safety record and this is widely attributed to the fact that the principles of safe shooting are drummed into those who shoot from an early age.