THE RSPCA is calling for mandatory licensing of airguns in England and Wales after receiving 4,500 calls in five years about attacks on animals using such weapons.
The latest figures show that the most calls to the RSPCA reporting airgun attacks on animals in 2017 came from the West Midlands – 54.
The RSPCA has received, on average, 900 calls a year since 2013 reporting incidents of animals being targeted by people using air weapons.
Now it wants to see England and Wales follow the lead of Scotland, where airgun owners and users have been required to have a licence since 1 January 2017.