Priti Patel orders review into crossbow laws after man arrested at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day
The arrest at Windsor Castle has led to questions over why the suspect was allowed to have a crossbow in the first place, explains ITV News Reporter Chloe Keedy
Home Secretary Priti Patel has ordered a review into crossbow laws after an armed intruder was arrested at Windsor Castle while the Queen celebrated Christmas.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed the department had been asked to look at ways to “strengthen controls” on the weapons and rules surrounding ownership of them.
The spokesperson said: “Crossbows are subject to controls and legislation is in place to deal with those who use them as a weapon.
“At the Home Secretary’s request, we are considering options to strengthen controls on crossbows.
"Work on this has been ongoing throughout the year, and we keep all relevant laws under review to maintain public safety.”
It is currently an offence for anyone under 18 to purchase or possess a crossbow and for anyone to sell a crossbow to someone aged under 18. Under current laws, anyone over the age of 18 can purchase one without a licence.
The announcement comes after a 19-year-old man with a crossbow was arrested on the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day who was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, said the Metropolitan Police.
Calls for tougher laws on crossbows initially came after an inquest into the death of Shane Gilmer, 30, in April.
Mr Gilmer died after his neighbour, Anthony Lawrence, broke into his house in January 2018 and shot both him and his partner Laura Sugden, who was five months pregnant at the time.
Ms Sugden survived the attack with serious injuries and has been campaigning for stricter legislation around the sale and possession of crossbows since.
She told ITV News: "Shane was taken away from so many people that he loved.
"He's never met his daughter and obviously that's something that we still have to live with every day."
Ms Sugden launched a petition earlier this year but the home secretary replied in May to say "the government has no plans to legislate further at this time".
The mother said she is concerned that what happened to her family could happen again to someone else.
She said: "Thankfully, he [the Windsor Castle suspect] didn't cause any harm but that is what I have been trying to say to Priti Patel for seven months - that they can and they do."
Following Mr Gilmer's inquest, coroner Paul Marks submitted a report to Ms Patel in May, saying he was concerned there is “no on-going control, record or licensing requirement for (crossbows)”, unlike firearms.
Because of this, he said, “the police have no record of who owns crossbows, how they are stored (or) the number that are in circulation.”
The coroner called on the government to review the Crossbows Act 1987 and the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, “with the intention of regulating the sale and possession of these lethal weapons”.
Following the arrest at Windsor Castle, police are also reviewing a video obtained by the Sun newspaper which appears to show a masked figure in a dark hoodie holding a crossbow and addressing the camera with a distorted voice, saying they wanted to “assassinate the Queen” in a “revenge” mission.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Whitehall sources said officials had been instructed to “incorporate any lessons” from the Windsor Castle arrest into a review of crossbow laws which was ordered earlier this year.
Crossbows may also be considered offensive weapons and are prohibited from being carried in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.