Partial victory for Sunday Express crossbow campaign after Government amends law

Labour is introducing two-step age verification to stop teenagers buying the lethal weapon on websites, in a partial victory for the Sunday Express Crackdown on Crossbows crusade.

But the loved ones of victims want stricter controls and have called for a licensing scheme similar to that for guns.

It came after another horror crossbow attack on the popular "Otley Run pub crawl" in Headingley, Leeds, eight days ago when two women were seriously injured in what is believed to have been a misogynistic attack.

Suspect Owen Lawrence, 38, died in hospital from a self-inflicted wound and the case is being investigated by counter-terror police.

Our campaign, launched on July 7 last year, exposed how it was possible to buy a potentially deadly crossbow online for as little as £50 simply by sending a picture of a driving licence. It was then delivered to a reporter's door with no further questions asked.

Our investigation came just two days before deranged Kyle Clifford used a crossbow, and knives, to murder his former girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25. He also killed her sister Hannah, 28, and their mother Carol, 61, the wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire.

Clifford, 26, received three whole life orders for their murders in March.

The Government, which had just been elected, vowed to look at new legislation to restrict access.

However, in March we reported how the Home Office had failed to release the outcome of a call for evidence into the possibility of a licensing scheme for crossbows completed in April last year.

Sir John Hayes, Tory MP for South Holland and The Deepings, who is spearheading the push for new laws in Parliament, then raised it during Prime Minister's Questions.

He said: "Will the Prime Minister agree for one of his ministers to come to the House to give a clear instruction about what the Government intend to do before any more lives are lost?"

After a pledge from Sir Keir Starmer for an update, on April 25 Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson released details of the proposed amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill regarding the online sale of crossbows.

It was for a new age verification provision so that, at point of sale, photographic identification is required to prove the buyer's age, and also at the point of delivery. Sellers and delivery companies will also have to ensure any such packages are marked as containing a crossbow.

Last night Sir John said: "(The amendments) do not appear to go nearly far enough. What we need is a more comprehensive system that oversees the ownership of crossbows. Ministers must get on with responding to that consultation, and they must look at introducing a licensing scheme for these deadly weapons."

Laura Sugden was left seriously injured in a horrific crossbow attack in which her partner Shane Gilmer, 30, was killed by Anthony Lawrence in 2018.

She has campaigned for stricter controls ever since and met with Dame Diana in January.

Laura said: "I was told the response to the consultation was ready. They just need to publish it now and I hope it will include a new licensing scheme that I have been calling for."

Dame Diana said in Parliament after last week's Leeds attacks: "The Government tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen age verification controls on both the online sale and delivery of crossbows.

"We will shortly publish our response to (the) consultation, setting out how we plan to go further to limit the availability and accessibility of crossbows in this country."