North Of England CPSA

P J Baker - address was supplied but I have removed it in this instance. Will be supplied if requested - Dave Waddington.
 
Dear Dave
 
Hello, you don't know me but my name is Pat Baker, and I am writing to you as a result of a recent incident and would like to warn other decent sportsmen. I am 57 years of age and in my lifetime I have not had so much as a parking ticket. One of my favourite sports is clay pigeon shooting and in the past I was a full member of the CPSA and ran my own club, ‘Valley Gun Club' at Kirkheaton, Huddersfield. I have recently been having a lot of trouble with vandals damaging my property and had to call the police. Whilst talking to the police I made a casual comment along the lines of, ‘I'd like to get my hands on them myself' as I am sure would any other normal person who was persistently having their property damaged. I also said at the time that clearly I had no intention of doing anything untoward as I own licensed firearms and was very aware of the consequences should I take the law into my own hands, and would never do anything to jeopardise my shotgun license. I was very shocked to then receive a visit from the Huddersfield Police firearms dept who promptly seized my shotguns as they said I had been making threats!!!! I have contacted the Huddersfield Daily Examiner who ran the story on Friday 19th June, this story can be viewed at www.examiner.co.uk.
 
 
 
I have also been contacted by the national press who would also like to run the story and have involved my local and parliamentary MP who is also appalled by my treatment and is doing everything he can to resolve the matter promptly. I don't know if there is anything at all the CPSA can do to assist, if nothing else please inform your members as a precaution to what could happen should they dare to defend their property. I feel the need to take this action because as an honest and decent sportsman I am disgusted by the action taken by the West Yorkshire Police and I am fed up of seeing decent people like ourselves being persecuted by the police for no other reason than because we own licensed firearms.
 
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
 
 
 
Mr P J Baker